Beautiful 19th century grey marble mantle

This 19th century -  Napoleon III style (also called Second Empire style) antique marble mantle was carved and hand-sculpted in a beautiful grey marble richly veined with white.

The imposing lintel rests on straight jambs, each delimited by a small molded capital and a foot block. Two finger fluted modillions appear under the lintel. The tablet is thin and molded. The whole piece, which ends with foot blocks, is decorated with molded panels.

The Second Empire style, born in France under the impulse of the Emperor Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie, could be summed up in one word: Abundance. This architectural style corresponds to a certain idea of luxury and pomp and privileges sumptuousness. The second half of the 19th century was also the time of the great transformation of Paris and the emergence of the Haussmannian apartments. The marble mantles then became common pieces of furniture!

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