French Louis XVI Style Gilt Ormolu Blackened Mesh Classical Motifs Fire Screen

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French Louis XVI Style Gilt Ormolu and Blackened Mesh Fire Screen with Classical Trophy Mounts
France, Late 19th to Early … Read more French Louis XVI Style Gilt Ormolu and Blackened Mesh Fire Screen with Classical Trophy Mounts
France, Late 19th to Early 20th Century
Overall: 31" H x 28" W x 8" D
Cartouche screen: 29" H x 23" W

A richly detailed French gilt bronze and mesh fire screen in the Louis XVI style, distinguished by its elaborate pierced ormolu frame, finely cast classical motifs, and curvilinear Rococo flourishes. This screen exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with ancien régime refinement, combining neoclassical rigor with the lyrical charm of the Rococo revival.

The ornate asymmetrical cartouche form is framed in scrolling foliate acanthus, with gadrooned edges and rocaille shell motifs. Stylized architectural finials crown the corners, while the scrolling legs terminate in paw and leaf feet, enhancing the theatricality of the piece. The center of the blackened wire mesh features a crisply cast gilt bronze appliqué of a flaming classical urn surmounting a crossed quiver of arrows and a palm frond—an allegorical “trophy of arms” derived from ancient Roman iconography.

In neoclassical and Louis XVI design, such trophy motifs symbolized martial valor, civic virtue, and enlightened rule. The flaming urn represents eternal flame and enlightenment, while the quiver and palm are associated with military honor and triumph. These decorative elements became fashionable during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as visual affirmations of noble ideals and the aesthetics of antiquity.

The use of blackened steel or iron mesh with finely chased ormolu mounts exemplifies the opulence and technical virtuosity of French decorative arts in the 19th century. The dual visual texture—the transparency of the mesh against the solid brilliance of gilded bronze—allowed fire screens like this to serve both decorative and practical purposes, protecting against sparks while acting as a focal point of fireplace ornamentation.

Condition: Good antique condition with expected wear. Some rubbing to gilt surfaces, minor separation at joints, and scattered oxidation to the mesh. Structurally sound, visually commanding.

Provenance: Palm Beach estate. See less