Exquisite Faunal and Floral Carved Oak Mirror Frame

A very large Faunal and floral carved oak mirror frame by…
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A very large Faunal and floral carved oak mirror frame by Robert Prenzel, 1905-1910, a plate frame of 'Sansovino' type, the toprail with a figure of a cockatoo alighting on a crest of two overlaid escutcheons pierced by a spray of fruiting foliage and flanked by clusters of fruit and foliage, the sides with scrolls supporting pendants of fruit and foliage, the lower rail centred on a grotesque cat mask flanked by clusters of flowers and foliage, the mirror plate bevelled, 225 cm high, 122 cm wide. provenance: Reg Riddell (d. 1980), Melbourne, Sold from the Estate of Reg Riddell, 1981, purchased by the mother of the present vendor. Other notes: in addition to its exceptional size, this frame is notable for its unusual combination of styles and motifs. It is basically a 'Sansovino' frame' a sixteenth-century Venetian type characterised by its raised crest, projecting upper corners, and exuberant carved decoration of classical motifs including large scrolls, figures and masks, and pendants of fruit but with Prenzel here seemingly combining old world fruits and foliage with their more exotic Australian counterparts, then strengthening the status of the latter by crowning the whole with the emphatically Australian element of the cockatoo. The combination of a historical European style, a mode in which Prenzel worked almost exclusively up to around 1900, and the Australian motifs, which began appearing in his work between 1900 and 1905 and soon became dominant, suggests a date for this frame around 1905. The cockatoo to the top of this frame is near-identical to that perched to the top of the chest of drawers in Prenzel's 1908 suite of bedroom furniture for Thomas and Margaret Laidlaw (sold Leonard Joel, decorative Arts, 8 August 2022, lot 83). A date for this mirror frame around 1905 is further supported by the treatment of the stems and foliage to the lower parts of its sides which shows the influence of the European Art Nouveau, an influence especially pronounced in Prenzel's work between 1900 and 1905. Terence Lane, who suggested that this frame dated to the 1910-1920 period, thought that its unusual combination of styles and motifs was likely attributable to Prenzel making it to the specifications of an unidentified private commission (private correspondence with the owner in 2012).

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  • Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.

    Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,

    Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.

    Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
  • Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
  • Grotesque - Grotesque decoration is any fanciful ornament applied to furniture and decorative arts, and includes distorted faces, mythical animals such as satyrs and sphinxes and less frequently fantastical fruit and flower forms.

    The Martin Brothers who set up their pottery at the end of the nineteenth century in Southall, Middlesex derived their fame from their hand made models of grotesque stoneware birds.
  • Rail - A term used by cabinet makers for the horizontal sections of the frame of an item such as a chair or settee which have a front rail, a back rail and two side rails, and also on a door or carcase, where the rails are joined to the vertical framings.
  • Scrolls - Serpentine-shaped forms, used in cabinet construction and decoration for centuries. The scroll appears in legs, feet, as carving in chair brackets, chair rails and arms. The deeper and more spontaneous the carving is, the earlier the piece is likely to be. The Regency or 'Thomas Hope' scroll, used on pediments and sideboard backs, consists of two scrolls on the horizontal plane, placed back to back in a mirror image, and sometimes decorated with a variety of carved and/or applied ornament, such as shells, foliate and other motifs. Chippendale-style furniture is often distinguished by two corresponding scrolls in the form of a 'C' in the upper splat or where chair legs join the seat rail.
  • Escutcheons - An escutcheon is a plate, made of brass, wood, ivory or ebony, which fits into or over the h keyhole, to protect the edge of the timber keyhole from damage by continual insertions of the key. As a general rule you would expect these escutcheons to be sympathetic in design to the handles of the piece. From the early 19th century escutcheons were sometimes made from ivory, ebony, bone or contrasting wood, often cut in a diamond or shield shape and inlaid into the front. Ivory, in particular, will tend to discolour with age, and certainly should not show up as brilliantly white.
  • Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
  • Art Nouveau Period - The Art Nouveau period was a cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th century, and was characterized by its emphasis on natural forms, flowing lines, and a decorative, ornamental style. Art Nouveau was a reaction against the ornate and heavily stylized designs of the previous era, and sought to create a new, more organic aesthetic.

    Art Nouveau was characterized by its use of sinuous, curving lines, as well as a focus on natural elements such as flowers, vines, and other organic shapes. Art Nouveau designers sought to create a total work of art, in which every element of a building or object was designed to be harmonious with the overall design.

    Some of the most iconic examples of Art Nouveau design include the Paris Metro entrances designed by Hector Guimard, the works of the artist Alphonse Mucha, and the architecture of Victor Horta in Brussels.

    The Art Nouveau period was at its peak between 1890 and 1910, but began to decline in popularity by the start of World War I. However, Art Nouveau remains an important influence on design and art to this day, and continues to be celebrated for its emphasis on natural forms and decorative style.
  • Bevel / Chamfer - In furniture making, a chamfered corner refers to a technique used to create a smooth, angled edge on the corner of a piece of furniture. This is typically done by cutting away a small portion of the corner at an angle, typically 45 degrees, creating a diagonal edge, rather than a sharp 90-degree angle. This technique can be used on various parts of a piece of furniture such as table legs, drawer fronts, or door frames. Chamfering can add visual interest to a piece and can help to soften the overall look of a piece of furniture. It is often used in conjunction with other techniques, such as rounding edges or using contrasting wood species to create a more elegant, sophisticated look. Chamfering is a simple way to add a touch of elegance to a piece of furniture and it is a common technique used by furniture makers.

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