A Fine Regency Period Sarcophagus Form Grate in the Manner of George and William Bullock c. 1815

This fine grate relates to a design by George Bullock for a grate designed for the engineer James Watt at Aston Hall in Birmingham in 1820 and recorded in the Wilkinson Tracings.

Birmingham Museums Service-Bullock’s designs for grates for Aston Hall

The present grate adopts the same sarcophagus form, heavy paw feet and acanthus detailing to the knees but is in the Egyptian style popular slightly earlier in the century and most famously used in London by Bullock’s brother William at the Egyptian Halls in Piccadilly. The brothers are known to have collaborated on some of the bronze and other metalwork items that were made to be sold in the Halls and this fine grate is certainly of the requisite quality to have been designed by the family.

Another grate of nearly identical design, described as “after a design by George Bullock, c.1810” was sold by Sotheby’s in London on the 14^th of September 2010. The Egyptian revival style was popularised by the publication of the Description de l’Égypte, a series of volumes aiming to describe the history and antiquities of Egypt first published in 1809.

The basic form of the grate is likely to have been taken from designs published by Thomas Hope in is Household Furniture and Decoration published in 1807. The sarcophagus form with hairy paw feet was utilised by Hope for a table shown in plate 12, fig. 6

Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture and Decoration Plate 12

The design for the pediment on the grate, though not the Egyptian decorative elements, relate to Hope’s design for a china cabinet in plate 27 fig. 1

This grate is a very fine example of high regency design at its eclectic best, combining together classical form, exuberant decoration and with the added bonus of Egyptian iconography which is always very sought-after. It is also worth noting that this grate pairs very well with our griffin fender, also of regency period and inspired by the work of Thomas Hope.

Print