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A George III carved Statuary, Portoro and Sienna marble chimneypiece inlaid with Blue John, circa 1790.
The rectangular, stepped and moulded shelf sits above a fluted frieze centred by a rectangular tablet inlaid with a circular Blue John roundel. This is flanked by two smaller roundels within moulded frames hung with ribbon tied swags. The opening, outlined in white Statuary marble, is surrounded by Portoro marble panels and flanked by tapered panelled jambs filled with Sienna marble and raised on plain blocks.
The rich choice of marbles used for this chimneypiece includes Portoro from the island of Portor Venere, La Spezia, Toscana in Italy, a quarry that was opened in antiquity. Sienna (Jaune de Sienne), from Colle Val d’Elsa Sienna, Italy and importantly Blue John. Blue John, a variety of fluorspar, was first mined by the Romans in Derbyshire and became highly popular during the Neo-Classical period of the 1770’2 and towards the closing years of the 18th century.
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