The Renaissance Collection
Our new Renaissance collection showcases some of the most intricate hand carving Jamb has ever produced. Meticulously copied from antique originals, we have sought to do justice to the work of those Renaissance craftsmen we so admire. Whether the Italian Renaissance brings to mind Palladio’s San Giorgio Maggiore or a prowling Caravaggio, we hope that our chimneypieces evoke the artistic vigour of the period.
The Altemps chimneypiece (above) shows two phoenixes flanking an armorial shield in the centre of the frieze. The birds exalt the shield, their claws upholding it and crested heads regarding it. Beyond their swelling breasts however, this attitude of zealous devotion peters out. Their wings are foliate and their tail feathers throw out stems of acanthus which turn into finely carved leaves. Amongst the acanthus, two birds are busy pollinating, caught in the stone quite unawares. Oaths of fealty do not trouble their small hearts as they do the phoenixes’.
Jamb stonemasons hand -inished this Renaissance collection out of our workshop in Mitcham, South London. Though our apprentices are not grinding oxen horns to make gesso, old techniques are still an essential part of the ageing process. Beeswax and naturally-occurring oils age the marble and stone, yet only when in the hands of one of our experienced craftsman- we get closer to the patina of the 15th century Florentine original.
Grimani
A strikingly elegant, Venetian-style chimneypiece. The richly ornamented frieze depicts spritely stems of acanthus and a winged lion- the symbol of the evangelist mark- ensconced in a laurel wreath. The portrait proportions of the aperture reflects the exigencies of building in Venice; when you can’t build outwards for fear of falling into a canal, you have to build upwards.
View it here.
Foscari
While the Altemps and Grimani are of the early Renaissance, the Foscari is based on a much later antique original. Well-proportioned and architectural, the sparse moulding and uncarved central tablet lend this handsome chimneypiece a severe quality. An aesthetic outlier in this collection, this chimneypiece harks back to antiquity through the sublime Bardiglio marble.
View it here.
Introducing The Art Deco Collection
Art Deco originated in a time of intense artistic experimentation; Bauhaus, Orphism, Cubism and Surrealism were all jostling for space in a crowded creative marketplace. It is through this pell-mell of aesthetic invention that Art Deco was forged. The Astor, Harmon and Walker form our new collection. Seen alongside the industrial aesthetic of our Hanbury lighting collection, it is clear that our Art Deco collection is not Jamb’s first foray into the twentieth century.
The frieze of this chimneypiece is made of specimen Onyx, in tones of ochre, grey, sea-green and ivory. Above each jamb, the Onyx frieze curves towards the wall encased in black marble, the smooth lines of the frieze evocative of Art Deco buildings in London, New York and Miami. The landscape orientation of this chimneypiece, strikingly Art Deco, has a rich design heritage. It is borrowed from Sir John Soane’s drawings that predate Art Deco by a century and yet inform the movement closely.
Walker
A modern opulence and confidence of line is expressed through the Walker. Carved in Grey Breche marble, the grooves that run along each side of the chimneypiece create continuity between the header and the jambs. The graduated aperture, like a geometric cave, is set beneath a header of monumental proportions.
View it here.
Harmon
This design from the 1930s revisits classical architectural canons through the lens of the new machine age. Carved in Bardiglio and Red Onyx marble, the shelf is strikingly lean in comparison to the mighty jambs, reminiscent of pilasters. Each jamb is reeded, carved in book-matched, flame red Onyx.
View it here.
Posted: 21/10/2024