Mantelpiece
Elaborately carved stone fireplaces, often decorated with profile heads inside wreaths, were a key feature of noble dwellings. As the winged helmet of the female figure in the right-hand wreath suggests, these depictions were generally idealizations rather than portraits of actual individuals. In the left-hand wreath is the head of a male figure. The remainder of the mantelpiece is carved with floral motifs and fantastic hybrid animals, including phoenixes, reptilian beasts, and sea creatures. The fireplace comes from the Trie-Pillavoine family’s manor house (called the manoir de Mornay-Villarceaux) in Omerville, Val-d’Oise. The coat of arms is a later addition.
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