THIS MANTEL HAS THE SAME ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT AS THE MORE CLASSIC (AND MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD) LOUIS XVI “CANNELURE,” BUT DIFFERS FROM THIS MODEL IN THAT, IN THE CENTER OF THE FRIEZE, INSTEAD OF A SMOOTH OR COMPLETELY FLUTED SURFACE AS ALL “CANNELURE” FIREPLACES HAVE, IT BEARS A VERY GRACEFUL SCULPTURE DEPICTING ONE OF THE MOST HONORED FLOWERS IN THE ANCIENT FIREPLACE WORLD, THE DAISY, HERE IN ITS DUAL FUNCTION:
A) THE “POPULAR” ONE: The daisy represents the Sun, that is, the Star that gives us life every day;
B) THE “REAL” ONE: Louis XIV (who believed himself to be an all-powerful deity) made sure that he was called “THE SUN-KING” (as modest as TRUMP, right?!) and the sculpture of the corolla of this flower represented for many a due homage to the King who brought France to national GRANDEUR..
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES IN THIS EXEMPLARY IS IN ITS VERY RICH MARBLE ENDOWMENT, ABSOLUTELY UNUSUAL IN A FIREPLACE, ALL SUMMARY, “POOR BUT BEAUTIFUL” AND GENERALLY DESTINED FOR FURNISHING BEDROOMS OR SERIOUS STUDENTS (ed: When I come across a fireplace of “poor” architecture but dressed in very important marbles, it makes me think of a foundry worker going to work in Tulle-embroidered organza dresses).
HERE WE EVEN HAVE A MARBLE FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT FAMILY IN THE WORLD, THE “STATUARY” FAMILY.
GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DETAIL, EVEN AT THE RISK OF BORING YOU, I WILL WRITE A PREAMBLE TO THE ACTUAL COMMENTARY.
THE MARBLES… “STATUARY MARBLES”...
You should know that the family of Statuaries, though not very large, expresses itself in various characters.... If the most important and well-known marble of this family is the Classical White Statuary (the marble of Michelangelo's Pieta, to be clear), no less beautiful will be the Breccia Medicea (so much so that, as Cosimo De Medici fell in love with this variety of marble, “our” marble could boast the name of the most illustrious family of the Renaissance), and still very charming the Breccia Violetta, the Paonazzo marble or the Statuario Arabescato marble... Or the “CALACATTA ORO” (“GOLDEN CALACATTA”).
WHAT UNITES THESE CHARACTERS IN THE SAME FAMILY?
Their, candid and “warm”, very white background paste (Technically this “paste” is pure Calcium Carbonate)...
AND WHAT, ON THE OTHER HAND, “DIVIDES” THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS SO THAT THEIR NAMES ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?
The most varied inclusions, colors, shades, veining or cloudiness....
Features these that are the prerogative of cadet branches (the adjective "cadet" does not mean "less important", on the contrary..) while the Classical White Statuary marble dresses (or should dress) exclusively in Pure and Very White Calcium Carbonate).
PARISIAN PROVENANCE, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY PERIOD, PERFECT PRESERVATION.
