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Lot Essay
With its finely-carved central shell and angles adorned with rockwork clasps above scroll-carved supports, this chimney-piece reflects the essence of rococo in its most elegant form.
Rance Royal had been mined in the Belgian province of Hainaut since Roman Antiquity, but it was particularly in the 17th and early 18th century that it was considered one of the most desirable marbles. In fact, Rance Royal was chosen for the decoration of some of the most prestigious rooms at Versailles, including the walls of the Gallerie des Glaces as well as the columns of the main portico to the Cour des Marbres and it is since often refered to as Rance Royal.
Rance Royal had been mined in the Belgian province of Hainaut since Roman Antiquity, but it was particularly in the 17th and early 18th century that it was considered one of the most desirable marbles. In fact, Rance Royal was chosen for the decoration of some of the most prestigious rooms at Versailles, including the walls of the Gallerie des Glaces as well as the columns of the main portico to the Cour des Marbres and it is since often refered to as Rance Royal.