EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY FRENCH ROUGE ROYALE MARBLE FIREPLACE SURROUND

In the transitional Louis XIV/XV style.

The curved shelf sits above the plain panelled frieze centred by a stylised scallop shell, all carved from in the solid from a thick, 3” slab. The gently scrolled jambs are surmounted by further scallop shells, these hung with strings of petite flowers, all raised on block feet. 

£7,000

AW021

  • Rouge Royal is a collective designation applied to several varieties of the celebrated Belgian red marbles, closely related to Belge Rouge, quarried in regions including Haumont, Rochefontaine, Neuville, Namur, and Rance. Extraction began in the sixteenth century and expanded significantly during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when these marbles attained international renown. Their prestige was cemented through extensive use in some of the most distinguished interiors of the Palace of Versailles, reflecting the particular favour they enjoyed under Louis XIV (1638–1715), the Sun King. 

    Although often overlooked in recent decades in favour of more uniform and less visually complex stones, these noble marbles possess a remarkable richness and depth of character. Their sumptuous palette ranges from burgundy and deep crimson to warm brown tones, dramatically enlivened by intricate white calcite inclusions and delicate grey veining. The result is a stone of exceptional decorative power, combining grandeur, movement, and refinement in equal measure. 

  • Width 58⅜” / 148.25cm  

    Height 46¾ ” / 118.5cm  

    Depth 14½” / 37cm  

    Opening height 38” / 96.5cm  

    Opening width 36¼” / 92cm  

    Width at base    53½” / 136cm