This Georgian Irish chimneypiece in the manner of Pietro Bossi will be sold at Sotheby's in London on September 14. It is estimated at £40,000-£60,000. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 85,250
TWO chimneypieces in the style of Pietro Bossi, the Italian craftsman who worked in Dublin from 1785 to 1798, will feature in the first ever Sotheby’s sale dedicated entirely to antique chimneypieces and fire grates in London on September 14. The sale also features an engraved George III Irish brass and wrought iron
register grate, in the manner of George Binns of Dublin.
An engraved George III Irish brass and wrought iron register grate, in the manner of George Binns of Dublin, to be offered at Sotheby's. It is estimated at £3,000-£5,000. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 1,875
The auction will bring to the market some 200 rare, important and unusual pieces, ranging in date from the 1600s to the 19th century, and emanating from all corners of Europe. Tbe chimneypieces to be sold represent almost the entire antique stock of leading London fireplace suppliers Chesney’s, which also maintains offices in New York. The company has released its antique stock because the focus now is on its increasingly international operation of producing and supplying fine reproduction fireplaces. The sale will offer an overview of chimneypiece design over the course of 300 years.
Not much is known about Pietro Bossi, although much inlay work of the late 18th century is commonly known as “Bossi-work”. He used coloured marble inlay and also a coloured paste inlay, known as scagliola, on a white marble ground. Bossi’s process was a closely guarded secret and was apparently carried out behind closed doors. He left Dublin in 1798 under a cloud of suspicion implicating him with the revolutionary movement.
UPDATE: The illustrated pieces made 85,250 and 1,875 pounds sterling respectively. An Irish George III scagliola inlaid Carrara marble chimneypiece in the manner of Bossi also made 82,250. The sale total came to 674,378 GBP.