Lost Treasures revisited – Blue Room fireplace
30 December 2015
We continue our look back at the Lost Treasures of Stowe campaign.
2015 update: Although we have been unable to track down the original Blue Room fireplace we had a replica made which now takes pride of place in the restored Blue Room. We were able to make new images from the photographic plates used to create the original sales catalogue to look at the detail and recreate the fireplace in marble. Come to Stowe to see the room complete.
9 September 2013
A key lost treasure that we are searching for at the moment is the fireplace surround for the Blue Drawing Room. We have almost finished replacing a 1980s laminate floor with a more traditional oak floor in the room and then next year we hope to undertake the restoration of the room. Although the highly decorated gilded ceiling dates from the 1740s, we have no images of the room until the turn of the 19th century, by which time, the room had gone through several changes in name and function. We are probably going to restore it to the 1860s, post-sale, décor, for which we have plenty of photographic evidence. However, along with the ceiling, the fireplace surround remained a constant in the room until it was sold in 1922.
The 1922 sales catalogue description describes as follows: ‘An antique white statuary marble mantelpiece with acanthus leaf and mouldings, plain centre panel and sunk jambs enriched with chased and ormolu scroll ornaments; size 6’ wide; fitted with an old chased ormolu and steel stove.’
If you have any idea of its whereabouts either to purchase or to copy then please let us know. It would be great to see it back home!