Mantel

Public Domain

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CultureAmerican

Titles

Mantel

Datec. 1845–1870

PlaceUnited States

MediumMarble

Dimensions72 3/4 × 49 in. (184.8 × 124.5 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Miss Ima Hogg

Object numberB.71.78

Current Location

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

Belter Parlor

On view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

BUILDING COMPONENT & ROOM ELEMENT

DescriptionThis lavishly carved marble mantel features abundant naturalistically carved decoration of fruit and flowers, common motifs on the decorative arts of the mid-nineteenth century. At the center of the mantel is a nest with a mother bird feeding its young, suggesting the great importance that society placed on a mother’s role in creating a virtuous and nurturing home—what has come to be called the cult of domesticity.
ProvenanceGeorge H. Corliss (1817–1888), Providence, Rhode Island; Charles Brackett (1892–1969), Providence; Corliss-Brackett House, Providence; Brown University, Providence; purchased through [Nino Scotti, Associated Appraisers, Inc., Providence], as agent for Miss Ima Hogg, 1971; given to MFAH, 1971.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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