June 2011 – Antique Fireplaces

This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the directoire style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence. Visible are the 3 layers of paint on top of the stone that had to be partially cleaned as part of the labor of love (painstaking at times) restoration efforts needed to render this splendid piece of art back to its former glory. To learn more about this and other pieces visit our fireplace page on—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique countryside stone fireplace mantel in a ruinned Provence farmhouse photographed in the late 1940's — Antique countryside stone fireplace mantel in a ruined Provence farmhouse photographed in the late 1940's

For more about our antique stone mantles visit this page—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique countryside stone fireplace mantel in a ruined Provence farmhouse photographed in the late 1940’sFor more about our antique stone mantles visit this page—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique reclaimed English Bolection mantle Circa 18th century

Reclaimed English Bolection Fireplace Mantle By Ancient Surfaces. For more about our antique stone mantels visit our fireplace page on —> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Bolection frame English Fireplace Mantle Circa 18th century

This simple yet elegant in design Bolection frame fireplace mantel has its roots in the English fireplace making tradition of the 18th and 17th centuries. Its classical simplicity speaks volumes about the period in which it was conceived. to learn more about this and other unique reclaimed fireplace mantlepieces stop by—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Ancient Fireplace in Situ in a 16th Century Italian Renaissance Villa

Italian Renaissance fireplace mantels are today’s rarest finds in the world of reclaimed fireplaces. Back in the 16th century they were the most desired and most common features of Italian homes and villa, and despite the fact that they were expensive, they were bought by nearly all the social classes. Hand carved primarily out of limestone, these mantels were often grand and elaborate, and their grandness depended on people’s different classes (wealthier people had more sumptuous ones, whilst poorer classes mantles were often far simpler). The best designers and sculptors in Italy often produced grand and beautiful fireplaces for some of the most important noble families of the time. Even though these mantels were used as a source of heating one’s home, many were actually used simply for decoration purposes. We offer a few breathtaking 16th century Italian renaissance fireplace shown on our blogs & website including ones in our private inventory accessible by invite. To view our regular fireplace mantels inventory please visit our website at —> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Ancient Reclaimed Italian RenaissaneMantel circa late 15th century — Ancient Reclaimed Italian Renaissance mantel circa late 15th century

For further information Please visit our fireplace page on—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Ancient Reclaimed Italian Renaissance Mantel Circa late 15th Century

For further information Please visit our fireplace page on—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Reclaimed Italian Mantel with Middle Keystone — A reclaimed Italian Mantel with Middle Keystone

For further information Please visit our fireplace page on—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

: A reclaimed Italian Renaissance fireplace mantel during installation

This splendid Italian 16th century stone fireplace mantle has been restored sold and shipped to the Americas were it was installed by a team of professional master masons that have perfected to installation process down to a science. Additionally this mantles features a firebox that is lined up with rows of running bonds of reclaimed limestone of Oolitic nature strong enough to stand up to direct flames of several hundred degrees. This Ancient Biblos Limestone is only available thou us and could be found on this page—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Biblos-Stone.html

A stunning antique limestone Louis XV fireplace mantle in Situ as shown in an old French Parisian villa prior to restoration and reclamation. This black and white pictures dates to after the second world war right around 1947 during the major reconstruction of Europe following WWII. To learn more about other antique Louis XV style fireplace mantels please visit our website or Facebook page —> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

A splendid reclaimed fireplace mantels Louis XV Style

This is a unique Louis XV limestone fireplace from Provence dating back to the 17th century. It’s a recent acquisition and has not yet entered our inventory database. For other similarly beautiful and unique Fireplaces please visit our fireplace page on—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Parisian stone Fireplace 'Cheminée antique parisienne en pierre' Louis XV — Antique Parisian stone Fireplace 'Cheminée antique Parisienne en pierre' Louis XV

To learn more please visit our Website at: http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

or call our sales office at: 212-461-0245

Our online catalog:

http://issuu.com/ancientsurfaces/docs/ancient_surfaces_online_catalog

Reclaimed Limestone Fireplace Mantle Salvaged from Belgium

: Antique Reclaimed Fireplace Mantle in California

An Antique fireplace mantel is possibly the most important piece of furniture that you’ll purchase for your house because it’s a permanent fixture that will survive the perpetual remodeling(s) and style changes a home will have to endure over its lifetime. This mantle above was salvaged from France and was raised by a hearth to be custom fitted for an existing fireplace box in California. Most antique mantles could benefit from a hearth or surround stone pieces that will position them better with their boxes and rooms they are in for more information about our antique fireplaces visit: http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed French Fireplace Mantle in the Backyard

They project a classic look to a living room, warmth and coziness in a bedroom, or a meditative and unwinding therapy by the poolside patio. Running Bond Reclaimed Limestone inside the Firebox. These mantels have stood the test of time unlike their brand new counterparts. A good antique reclaimer would also offer an arsenal of refurbished antique accessories to complement the whole antique mantels ambiance that you’re trying to create in your home. Such items include ancient metal gates, antique herringbone bricks used to line the insides of the fireboxes, to the simple yet elegant hearth & surround stones, classic andiron, fire backs and baskets all salvaged from the 17^th to the 19^th century. Please visit our fireplace page for more information—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed Italian Countryside Fireplace

Classic timeless pieces from the Norman and Medieval, Italian and French Renaissance or Edwardian and Victorian eras are some of the best fireplace school of styles to choose from. This fireplace above was reclaimed from Italy and is of a classical Medieval Italian countryside design. See more at—> http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed French Fireplace Mantle with a Bolection Simple Frame

While picking from a variety of ancient hand carved stone mantels, generally, those offered by dealers are mainly simple with the occasional corbel legs to them like the French countryside fireplaces, or simple English Jacobean mantels with a nice bolection frame common during that era. To learn more about those types of simple fireplaces please visit our website at—>http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Various kinds of stone such as dolomite limestone, brecciated marble or even basalt rock in some instances were used by past carvers to create some of Europe’s most elaborate fireplace mantels for the past ten centuries. The best kind of stone to carve fireplaces out of in Limestone. Uncontested, it helps provide mantles with an eternal beauty and great heat conductivity while achieving a legendary level in hardness and durability. It’s no surprise that most well-preserved stone fireplaces in the world were once carved out of this highly prized natural sub-class called ‘Oolitic Limestone’ also known in French as ‘La Pierre Froide’. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Fireplace 'A Clef Vouttee' — Antique Fireplace with the Keystone

As for the style of mantles goes, the most popular kind of fireplace mantel today are South European or the Tuscan or French Bastide and Normandy style that are based on one simple philosophy of the simpler the better as long as that simplicity didn’t stand for losing the fireplace’s personality and character like few minimalistic modern design suggest today. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed Louis XV French Fireplace

Mostly sculptures realized in this style were a way for lesser wealthy individuals to afford a hand carved stone fireplace which still struck a chord with its viewing audience. They still offered a perfect balance of design and proportion based of the utilization the ‘Golden Ratio’ and ‘Golden Mean’. For example look at the fireplace mantle named AF-1100 shown above. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Fireplace Cared Using the Golden Ratio

You can feel and see its beauty and proportionality despite the simplistic carving lines it features. This is because it was design and engineered hundred of years ago by a French master carver who planned every ligne, every curvature , and every proportion using specific geometric formulas that puts any modern university math professor to shame!http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Mantle in a French Abbaye — Antique Mantle in a Medieval Manor

Many European master carvers during the late Medieval and Renaissance periods utilized many other carving and visual techniques such as the play on the visual perspective, ‘Chiaroscuro’ shade manipulations, ‘Foreshortening’ the play with lines, and ‘Sfumato’ which consist on blurring or not fully carving a section to give it a perception of distance. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed Fireplace with Vegetation and Leafage Carvings

Just as in paintings all European eras have been splendidly depicted in these hand carved mantels that speak volumes of Europe’s glory days & fall from grace. If anyone desires to design a house keeping a particular style in mind then European mantels offer such a versatile outlet for you. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

The earliest known mantel piece is the one in the Kings House in Southampton. It was carved in the 12th century and is a classic example of splendid old masters craftsmanship. A very wonderful example of the early Renaissance style fireplaces is the mantelpiece of the ‘Palais de Justice at Burges’ or the main fireplace mantle at the Versailles castle. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Seventeenth century English era saw the introduction of pure Italian style of fireplace mantel pieces. These mantels were very simple in style but had an elegant look. It was only in the latter part of the 17th century that bolder and molding styles were introduced. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed 18th Century French Fireplace with Trumeau

In the 18th century the rise of French style of architecture was seen and the designs of the mantels too were influenced by the French style. http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

Antique Reclaimed Fireplace Mantle from the 17th Century

The other different but very elegant styles of fireplace mantels include the Classic Tudor, Jacobean, Victorian, Georgian, Gothic, Louis Style, Pompadour, Directoire… Antique fireplace mantels of the above mentioned eras and designs have gained a lot of popularity nowadays.

To learn more please visit our Website at: http://www.ancientsurfaces.com/Antique-Fireplaces.html

or call our sales office at: 212-461-0245

Our online catalog:

http://issuu.com/ancientsurfaces/docs/ancient_surfaces_online_catalog