An Irish Queen Anne Slate Frame Chimneypiece with Scallop Motif

A charming slate frame from the early 18th century, a perfect example of how a very simple design can be extremely elegant. The interior edges of the jambs are carved with a delicate moulding which sweeps up and along the frieze to meet at the centre a scallop shell. This motif, which appears often in decoration of the time, signified fertility and was associated with Venus, the Roman Goddess of love and beauty. This might suggest that the piece was originally made for a marital home.