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Carved gilded oak garland of flowers, fruit and leaves from an overmantel
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. CC0 (Met Open Access). View the source record

Corbels, Brackets & Ornament · Georgian & Colonial Revival

Grinling Gibbons Carved Overmantel Garland (c. 1675)

Part of a carved and gilded oak overmantel by Grinling Gibbons, the master English woodcarver of the late 1600s, with naturalistic flowers, fruit and foliage.

Design characteristics

Grinling Gibbons carved garlands of fruit, flowers, leaves and game so realistically that they look alive. This large section, more than 16 feet tall in total, would have framed a painting or mirror above a fireplace. Gibbons-style garlands remain a benchmark for carved ornament on English and Colonial Revival mantels. A modern CNC can rough out a garland in hardwood before hand finishing brings back the crispness.

Classification

Style
Georgian & Colonial Revival
Category
Corbels, Brackets & Ornament
Material
Oak
Motifs
Naturalistic carving
Date
ca. 1675
Maker or designer
Grinling Gibbons
Recorded medium
Carved and gilded oak
Dimensions
197 x 106 1/4 in. (500.4 x 269.9 cm)
Evidence
Documented historical object
Source
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Architectural context

Symmetry, classical proportions and refined raised-panel woodwork. Britain and colonial America · original c. 1714–1830; revival c. 1876–1955.

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