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Antique Face Screen in wood decorated in penwork C. 1815. 
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Description:
Ref:   162fs    http://hygra.com/face/162fs 

Antique Face Screen in wood decorated in penwork C. 1815.

A very fine screen, the outline and the decoration being mutually enhancing.

On one side we have a composition of neoclassical motifs. A central shell is flanked by two dolphins. The dolphins are made up of metamorphosing acanthus leaves and the shell could also stand for a fountain.  

Neptune ’s trident appears from the base of the shell. Laurel leaves and berries emanate from the mouths of the fish and encircle their scaly tails which in turn metamorphose into spreading leaves. 

This form of metamorphic classical design was a favourite in Renaissance Italy and became a popular  design in England during the neoclassical period. 

On this screen the orchestration is complex and shows a high degree of sophistication. The outline of the screens is drawn with acanthus leaves in profile, matching the scalloped edge of the wood. In between the central design and the periphery, there are more laurel and berry branches loosely undulating and providing a light tone against the austere formality of the main design and surround. They also link up with the dolphins.

On the other side the design is freer. We still have the acanthus framing, but inside it there are two floral swags of wild roses, daffodils, small flowers and leaves, all drawn in very fine lines in a naturalistic way, hinting at movement and fragility. In the centre, between two plants slightly reminiscent of Chinoiserie in their botanical improbability, a mythical bird is pouncing on a rather small dragon. This side has an element of fantasy mixed in with classicism and nature: all the ideas of the Regency.

The handles are wonderful. They are turned in wood, the top gilded, the lower part carved and painted in dark green. The unexpected use of colour is very much in the Regency tradition.   

Origin: UK ;  Circa: 1815 ; Materials: wood


Size:  Screen 24 cm wide by 17.5 (at tallest) cm; handle 20 cm long: 9.5 inches wide by 7 inches; handle 7.8 inches.

Condition:  Please refer to the above photographs for details of condition. Break and repair crack.

Keywords: Hygra.com, Antique box, Antique Face Screen, fan, fire screen, Regency, Neptune, trident, penwork, metamorphic, neoclassical, mythical bird

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All text and images and linked images are © 1999-2015 Antigone Clarke and Joseph O'Kelly. If you require any further information on permitted use, or a licence to republish any material, email us at copyright@hygra.com