Antique Limestone de Besancon Fireplace Mantel Louis XV Style

An antique limestone fireplace mantel from Besançon in the Louis XV manner, with a sweeping, controlled profile. The frieze has a softly bowed face centered on a shell cartouche in relief, a crisp moulded shelf caps the surround, and the corners roll forward with a gentle cabriole movement so the piece sits lightly against the wall. The jambs carry deeply recessed curving channels that lead the eye down past a small rosette medallion. Time has eased the edges of the relief without losing its line. The stone is a quiet range of cool grays, with warmer earthy undertones on the returns and where it met the hearth.

It measures 62 1/2 inches wide, 26 3/4 inches deep and 43 3/4 inches high, with an opening of 50 3/4 by 34 inches. It is reclaimed whole, jambs, lintel and shelf, from a house in eastern France.

The proportions suit a formal living room, a dining room, a study or a boutique hotel, against white plaster or dark paneling alike, and the low opening fits a modern gas insert well. We also have a second Besançon limestone fireplace mantel in the Louis XV style with paneled jambs, if a pair of related pieces is wanted. See it by appointment in Marina Del Rey, or ask for photographs and a quote.