Furniture & Objects
1. Blue John and Ashford marble table, c 1840
Having spent many years in the stone/tile business and being a fan of exotic stones, I have to say that I have never seen anything quite like this table. "Blue John" is "fluorspar" (Fluorite) mined in the Derbyshire area of England and is quite a rare stone. Typically it is seen in smaller pieces, like jewelry, small vases, decorative urns, but usually not in such a wide swath as was used on this table. It is quite the piece!
http://www.bluejohnstone.com/newly-discovered-15th-blue-john-vein-first-original-vein-found-since-1800s-press-release-soon-c103.html
Having spent many years in the stone/tile business and being a fan of exotic stones, I have to say that I have never seen anything quite like this table. "Blue John" is "fluorspar" (Fluorite) mined in the Derbyshire area of England and is quite a rare stone. Typically it is seen in smaller pieces, like jewelry, small vases, decorative urns, but usually not in such a wide swath as was used on this table. It is quite the piece!
http://www.bluejohnstone.com/newly-discovered-15th-blue-john-vein-first-original-vein-found-since-1800s-press-release-soon-c103.html
2. Hexagonal end grain wood pavers
This past year while in Dublin I walked through the covered arch way into the inner courtyard of Trinity College only to notice that the pavement turned to wood in the shape of hexagons, but just under the archway coming in of from College St ( Bank of Ireland direction).
I inquired into this and found out that the wood pavers were meant to muffle the sound of carriage horses inside the covered area once upon a time. Fast forward to the end of the trip—upon leaving Dublin I saw a wonderful black and white photo of the Giant's Causeway which is on the coast in Antrim and composed of some 40,000 or so columns of basalt that resulted (arose) from an undersea volcanic eruption....and mostly in the shape of hexagons (A bizarre consequence of the material properties of basalt, the water and the rapid heating then cooling, I am told.)
Intrigued by the coincidence of seeing this shape in the same trip to Ireland, I suggested that it be specified for a floor material on a current project -- we'll see how it goes, but I have high hopes. The material will be cut from oak but in an end-grain format--which is the sturdiest cut of wood -- the type of cut that old butcher blocks and factory floors were made from.
http://www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com
This past year while in Dublin I walked through the covered arch way into the inner courtyard of Trinity College only to notice that the pavement turned to wood in the shape of hexagons, but just under the archway coming in of from College St ( Bank of Ireland direction).
I inquired into this and found out that the wood pavers were meant to muffle the sound of carriage horses inside the covered area once upon a time. Fast forward to the end of the trip—upon leaving Dublin I saw a wonderful black and white photo of the Giant's Causeway which is on the coast in Antrim and composed of some 40,000 or so columns of basalt that resulted (arose) from an undersea volcanic eruption....and mostly in the shape of hexagons (A bizarre consequence of the material properties of basalt, the water and the rapid heating then cooling, I am told.)
Intrigued by the coincidence of seeing this shape in the same trip to Ireland, I suggested that it be specified for a floor material on a current project -- we'll see how it goes, but I have high hopes. The material will be cut from oak but in an end-grain format--which is the sturdiest cut of wood -- the type of cut that old butcher blocks and factory floors were made from.
http://www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com
3. Horses at Rest, ceramic plaque (I suspect the 1930s-1960s but have no proof.)
Saw this in a local antique store, admired it and.....magically, Patti wrapped it up for Christmas for me. I have a long love-affair with antique tiles and this is an unusual one. It is not signed or dated but it took both special artistic and technical skills (as it is an 1 3/4" thick in some spots) to produce it so I wish I knew who made it. Love the mood, colors and style of it.
Saw this in a local antique store, admired it and.....magically, Patti wrapped it up for Christmas for me. I have a long love-affair with antique tiles and this is an unusual one. It is not signed or dated but it took both special artistic and technical skills (as it is an 1 3/4" thick in some spots) to produce it so I wish I knew who made it. Love the mood, colors and style of it.
4. Sydney Owenson's (Lady Morgan) piano, c 1790
Last year I took a picture of the marble memorial plaque for Carolan imbedded in the wall in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, with no idea at the time who Lady Morgan was.
Fast forward several months from that trip to learning that the first known upright piano known was going to be in the Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design exhibit and that, lo and behold, it belonged to Lady Morgan, aka Syndey Owenson and that it was made in Dublin .
Fast forward again to my trip this past Fall when I was walking through Dublin and happened to look up just in time to see the plaque indicating that she had once lived on that spot! I need to learn more about her but for now, I can tell you that she was a great writer, a patron of O'Carolan and also a musician herself.
The casework attributed to William Moore is also lovely.
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Sydney-Morgan
Last year I took a picture of the marble memorial plaque for Carolan imbedded in the wall in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, with no idea at the time who Lady Morgan was.
Fast forward several months from that trip to learning that the first known upright piano known was going to be in the Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design exhibit and that, lo and behold, it belonged to Lady Morgan, aka Syndey Owenson and that it was made in Dublin .
Fast forward again to my trip this past Fall when I was walking through Dublin and happened to look up just in time to see the plaque indicating that she had once lived on that spot! I need to learn more about her but for now, I can tell you that she was a great writer, a patron of O'Carolan and also a musician herself.
The casework attributed to William Moore is also lovely.
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Sydney-Morgan
5. Gilt/carved wood over mantle in Chinoiserie style, c 1760
Stunning piece of work harkening back to the 18th c when this kind of craftsmanship and a desire for exotic Oriental-styled items came together to yield some incredible pieces.....this is certainly one!
Originally installed in Stedcombe House in Devon, England.
http://www.butchoff.com/Lock-Matthias-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45&tabindex=44&artistid=123728
Stunning piece of work harkening back to the 18th c when this kind of craftsmanship and a desire for exotic Oriental-styled items came together to yield some incredible pieces.....this is certainly one!
Originally installed in Stedcombe House in Devon, England.
http://www.butchoff.com/Lock-Matthias-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45&tabindex=44&artistid=123728
6. Typical Irish country hutches - style and symbols , circa early to mid 1800s
Love these! Broadly speaking, there were three or four basic "models" of these hutches and many variants of those models - two of those models are presented here:
1) those with closed bottom storage
2) those with "fiddle" front (shape of center post) pen storage
Note the fishtail (in several versions) and heart motifs. It has also been suggested that the fishtail motif is more particularly a reference to the Loaves and Fishes story from the Gospels, a statement of faith that God always provides and that the small circles are actually loaves of bread intertwined with the fish. (see attached pics)
(As well, the "fish" symbol is as old as the crucifix as a symbol of Christianity—we have all see them on the backs of cars, etc.)
Love these! Broadly speaking, there were three or four basic "models" of these hutches and many variants of those models - two of those models are presented here:
1) those with closed bottom storage
2) those with "fiddle" front (shape of center post) pen storage
Note the fishtail (in several versions) and heart motifs. It has also been suggested that the fishtail motif is more particularly a reference to the Loaves and Fishes story from the Gospels, a statement of faith that God always provides and that the small circles are actually loaves of bread intertwined with the fish. (see attached pics)
(As well, the "fish" symbol is as old as the crucifix as a symbol of Christianity—we have all see them on the backs of cars, etc.)
7. Irish Dower chest, c 1730
In the early 1700s there was a influx of Huguenot craftsmen into Dublin (due to religious persecution in Northern France) and many of these were quite talented cabinetmakers and silversmiths. This style, with its inlaid "seaweed" marquetry is typical of the work being done by the Kirkhoffer Family who became quite prominent carvers/craftsmen in Ireland.
(Below is the link to the Kirkhoffer piece that was in the IRELAND exhibit.)
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/5702
In the early 1700s there was a influx of Huguenot craftsmen into Dublin (due to religious persecution in Northern France) and many of these were quite talented cabinetmakers and silversmiths. This style, with its inlaid "seaweed" marquetry is typical of the work being done by the Kirkhoffer Family who became quite prominent carvers/craftsmen in Ireland.
(Below is the link to the Kirkhoffer piece that was in the IRELAND exhibit.)
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/5702
8. John Egan "Royal Portable" harp, c 1820
This became the symbol of the recent Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 exhibit and with good reason--as the piece is rich in symbolism. After the Act of Union (which summarily dissolved the independent Irish Parliament in 1801) there was a surge in Patriotism in Ireland...perhaps, better characterized as a "backlash" against the Act. The American and French Revolutions and the 1798 Irish Rebellion paved the way for more free thinking about self-determination which "the Act" aimed to quelch.
That newly planted patriotic trend, combined with several others to produce a market for this specific version of the portable harp. Here are some of the other factors at work at the time:
1) the growth of harp schools aimed at recovering the moribund Irish harping tradition,
2) the popularity of harp music,
3) the increasing availability of written/published musical notation,
4) the fashion of playing Irish melodies (ala Thomas Moore's Melodies) at private home gatherings.
Egan's harps contributed to the revival of Irish harping in general and this specific model--with its ivory "ditals" (tuning levers)--was a noted development in harp-making as it aimed to enable the player to quickly change keys without having to take out the tuning wrench to do so.
http://www.hurrellharp.com/TheRoyalPortableHarp.pdf
This became the symbol of the recent Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 exhibit and with good reason--as the piece is rich in symbolism. After the Act of Union (which summarily dissolved the independent Irish Parliament in 1801) there was a surge in Patriotism in Ireland...perhaps, better characterized as a "backlash" against the Act. The American and French Revolutions and the 1798 Irish Rebellion paved the way for more free thinking about self-determination which "the Act" aimed to quelch.
That newly planted patriotic trend, combined with several others to produce a market for this specific version of the portable harp. Here are some of the other factors at work at the time:
1) the growth of harp schools aimed at recovering the moribund Irish harping tradition,
2) the popularity of harp music,
3) the increasing availability of written/published musical notation,
4) the fashion of playing Irish melodies (ala Thomas Moore's Melodies) at private home gatherings.
Egan's harps contributed to the revival of Irish harping in general and this specific model--with its ivory "ditals" (tuning levers)--was a noted development in harp-making as it aimed to enable the player to quickly change keys without having to take out the tuning wrench to do so.
http://www.hurrellharp.com/TheRoyalPortableHarp.pdf
9. "Scagliola" inlaid fireplace in the manner of Bossi, circa mid 1800s
A very old technique for imitating precious stones with a mix of colored plasters, marble dust and great patience and talent. One of the more noted practitioners of the art were the Bossi brothers from Italy who made their way into England and Ireland in the 1780s, executing work (fireplaces, table tops, columns) for the gentry of the day. Often the motifs and themes were classically based ornaments--vases, swags, urns, seated figures in profile, etc., and this is the only piece I have seen with such a rich display of birds. The piece may have been made by later copyists of the Bossis, the firm of Sharpe and Emmory.
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/scagliola/scagliola.htm
http://www.thornhillgalleries.co.uk/pietro-bossi-the-master-of-stucco-and-scagliola-inlay-in-antique-marble-fireplaces/
A very old technique for imitating precious stones with a mix of colored plasters, marble dust and great patience and talent. One of the more noted practitioners of the art were the Bossi brothers from Italy who made their way into England and Ireland in the 1780s, executing work (fireplaces, table tops, columns) for the gentry of the day. Often the motifs and themes were classically based ornaments--vases, swags, urns, seated figures in profile, etc., and this is the only piece I have seen with such a rich display of birds. The piece may have been made by later copyists of the Bossis, the firm of Sharpe and Emmory.
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/scagliola/scagliola.htm
http://www.thornhillgalleries.co.uk/pietro-bossi-the-master-of-stucco-and-scagliola-inlay-in-antique-marble-fireplaces/
10. Mystery motif "shell" in Irish furniture & architecture
Though the motif of a shell decoration appears so very often and in so many ways in Irish furniture/architecture no one (to my knowledge) has yet solved the mystery of just why it is so prevalent.
There have been suggestions that the "shell" is a reference of Ireland's geographical nature — that it is an island. There have also been suggestions that is a symbol of Ireland's long connection to the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, of which the scalloped shell is a symbol and it was, therefore, a uniquely Irish Catholic symbol hiding in plain sight. I first heard this latter suggestion from Paul Johnston (RIP), an eminent Dublin antique dealer, friend and great guy who, while he was not certain of this interpretation himself, felt it was certainly worthy of further study.
(For the record--carved shells appear in other non-Irish pieces of furniture but not, it seems, as "universally" as is the case in Ireland).
That said, I have yet to hear anything definitive - so - the "pilgrimage" towards the answer continues. If you know the answer, please fill me in! It is simply too commonplace not to have an origin/meaning, I think.
http://www.historyireland.com/medieval-history-pre-1500/the-irish-medieval-pilgrimage-to-santiago-de-compostela/
http://www.caminosociety.ie
Though the motif of a shell decoration appears so very often and in so many ways in Irish furniture/architecture no one (to my knowledge) has yet solved the mystery of just why it is so prevalent.
There have been suggestions that the "shell" is a reference of Ireland's geographical nature — that it is an island. There have also been suggestions that is a symbol of Ireland's long connection to the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, of which the scalloped shell is a symbol and it was, therefore, a uniquely Irish Catholic symbol hiding in plain sight. I first heard this latter suggestion from Paul Johnston (RIP), an eminent Dublin antique dealer, friend and great guy who, while he was not certain of this interpretation himself, felt it was certainly worthy of further study.
(For the record--carved shells appear in other non-Irish pieces of furniture but not, it seems, as "universally" as is the case in Ireland).
That said, I have yet to hear anything definitive - so - the "pilgrimage" towards the answer continues. If you know the answer, please fill me in! It is simply too commonplace not to have an origin/meaning, I think.
http://www.historyireland.com/medieval-history-pre-1500/the-irish-medieval-pilgrimage-to-santiago-de-compostela/
http://www.caminosociety.ie
Miscellaneous
Blue John examples
Egan Harps
Scagliola by Pietro Bossi
Scagliola Fireplace's Bossi Style
