When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
ANTIQUE FRENCH HAND FIRE SCREEN (ECRAN A MAIN)
Romantic Period, c.1840–1860A fine single French hand fire screen (écran à main) of the Romantic period, c.1840–1860. Of more elaborate character than earlier Consulat examples, this screen displays the richer decorative vocabulary of the mid-nineteenth century — an ivory embossed ground, applied gilt bead-chain border in swag formation, and a hand-coloured lithograph insert of considerable quality set within a gilt-bordered octagonal Single hand fire screen (ecran a main)
Period: Romantic, c.1840–1860, French
Silhouette: Scalloped / lobate outline (contour chantourn)
Construction: Double-sided card; principal face covered in ivory embossed paper or fabric with overall foliate or damask pattern and gilt outer edge
Border decoration: Applied dark bead-chain swags following the scalloped outline
Central reserve: Octagonal, gilt and brown-printed border; hand-coloured lithograph depicting an outdoor garden scene with elegantly dressed women and children in mid-19th century costume — a genre scene of notable quality and charm
Reverse: Bottle-green embossed paper or fabric with moiré wave pattern; gilt outer edge; no figurative decoration
Handle: Turned ebonised wood, baluster collar, tapering to a point at base
Screen leaf: approx. 9 x 8 in / 23 x 20 cm
Total height including handle: approx. 14 in / 35.5 as an antique in honest aged condition. Age foxing and surface soiling to the ivory ground, consistent with approximately 160–180 years of age. Some losses and scuffing at edges and corners. Octagonal lithograph reserve shows a horizontal crease or partial separation at the lower edge — visible in photographs. Gilt bead-chain decoration intact overall; some minor bead losses possible on close inspection. Reverse in relatively sound condition. Handle retains good ebonised finish with minor surface wear. Structurally complete and of French decorative arts and Romantic period accessories. Interior designers seeking authentic mid-19th century fireplace objects. Antique chimneypiece displays. Collectors of hand-coloured lithography and Victorian genre antique packed with care in a rigid box with archival tissue. Please message with any questions before purchasing.
