Antique Limestone Mantel

An antique limestone fireplace mantel with a straight lintel, a deep shelf and strongly shaped legs. The jambs curve inward in a bold sweep that softens the otherwise blocky frame and gives the opening a distinct outline; there is no relief ornament, and the mantel holds a room through thickness and mass alone. The stone is a warm mix of soft cream, pale beige and weathered off-white, with areas of color variation and gentle darkening from age across the plain face. The edges are softly worn.

It measures 56 inches wide, 19 3/4 inches deep and 47 1/4 inches high. The opening is 39 1/2 inches high; its width is given as 51 3/8 inches at the widest point of the curve and 39 1/8 inches at the narrowest, following the sweep of the legs. The jamb depth is 19 1/2 inches. It was reclaimed whole from a French house.

It framed a working firebox or served as a dry surround, in a dining room, a library or a wine room, with plaster, aged oak or blackened steel. This antique fireplace mantel has sold. We usually have similar limestone mantels in the yard or arriving from France; ask and we will send what is current. A limestone fireplace mantel with curved jambs comes through a few times a year.