Opulent Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze Fireplace Garniture - 27½"

This Napoleon III gilt-bronze fireplace garniture is richly cast and highly ornamented, comprising a pair of upright supports joined by a rope-twist front bar. The square pilaster uprights are detailed with Gothic-style patterns and topped with bold flame finials, while the bases form arched plinths adorned with scrolling leafwork, foliate spurs, and ornate lion heads. The rope-twist bar, which terminates in fleur-de-lis finials, can slide slightly from side to side, allowing the spacing between the uprights to be adjusted. Hooks at the rear were designed to hold tongs and a poker, while iron billets extend back to support logs.

This opulent design reflects the eclectic historicism of the Second Empire, when bronziers combined Gothic tracery, heraldic motifs, and Renaissance-inspired ornament to achieve dramatic effect. Cast and chased gilt bronze, or ormolu, epitomized the period’s virtuosity and taste for richly decorated fireplaces that balanced theatrical display with practical refinement.

Striking in scale and opulent in detail, this garniture anchors a mantel in a paneled library, formal salon, or grand hall. The warm gilt surface pairs beautifully with marble, slate, or limestone surrounds, and provides a sculptural focal point even in a non-working hearth, where stacked birch logs or candles highlight its gilded surfaces and historic presence.