Weathered Limestone Mantel with Foliate Cartouche

Heavy weathering defines this antique limestone fireplace mantel. A carved foliate cartouche sits at the centre of a deep frieze, its scrolls softened by age, beneath a molded shelf with worn edges. The jambs are curved consoles, and the stone around the arched brick firebox is pitted, mottled and uneven in a way new stone cannot imitate. Installed within pale timber paneling in a formal drawing room, it holds its own beneath a large painting. Right for a drawing room, library, country house or period restoration that wants age visible in the stone.