French carved giltwood and embroidered fire screen

This unusual fire screen combines disparate stylistic influences—the Neoclassical in the architectural structure of the giltwood frame and the Orientalist in the decorative elements of the embroidered fabric.

The Neoclassical style giltwood frame features an entablature ornamented in relief with a trio of rosettes, the surmounting pediment formed of a central stylised anthemion flanked by twin elongated scrolls. The entablature is supported by twin fluted columns, the capitals of which are ornamented with rosettes. The structure of the frame is raised by four giltwood legs terminating in paw feet, each pair of legs closed by a conjoining giltwood panel.

The giltwood frame supports the central panel of the firescreen, which is wrought from embroidered fabric. The decoration that adorns the screen, which is embroidered over red ground, is Orientalist in nature, and includes motifs such as birds, a variety of flowers, a wooden bridge, and an exotic building. These elements are produced from pink, blue, and white thread, which contrasts beautifully with the red fabric ground of the screen, the entirety warmly complementing the giltwood frame.