PAIR OF 1615 ENGLISH POLYCHROME PAINTED HERALDIC LION NEWEL BANISTERS FINIALS

Description

Royal House Antiques

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exceptionally rare pair of King James 1st 1615 English Heraldic Lion Newel Finials with period Polychrome paint.

Where to begin! What a find, these are original English Newel Finials which would have been used at either end of a bannister, they are totally and utterly unrestored and haven’t changed one bit in the last 405 years of their existence.

They can be used as pure decoration, they are freestanding and really define a space, alternatively they still have the original mounting holes to the base, they could be used as reclaimed bannister terminals once again.  

Dimensions

Height:- 37cm & 36cm

Width:- 16cm & 13cm

Depth:- 12cm & 17cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask.

Heraldic beasts were used in many different interiors: country houses; townhouses; livery halls; boardrooms of various institutions; churches and places of worship; and warships. As a result, the purpose for which these pieces may have been carved remains unclear. This pair of heraldic beasts may have been carved as newel post finials of a grand staircase, or as finials for a church or a livery hall.

John Crowther (1837-1902)’s ‘Interior View of the Church of St Matthew, Friday Street’, a watercolour painted in 1881, demonstrates the use of such carvings within the interior of a church. In 20th century Britain, over 1,000 country houses were demolished. This phenomenon was brought about by a change in social, political and financial conditions – high taxation, death duties, and the loss of aristocratic heirs as well as workers to manage the estates following the two World Wars – which led to landed families selling estates and a large number of country houses being demolished.

On 4 May 1912 ‘Country Life’ carried an advertisement for the ‘Stone Balustrade containing 140 turned balusters; 80 half-balusters; 13 massive pillars’ and ‘13 urns’ from Trentham Hall, Staffordshire, which were being sold for £200. This was a hint of things to come.

In 1944 the trustees of Castle Howard began selling the contents of the house; the Duke of Bedford reduced Woburn Abbey to half its original size in 1947; and Alfred Waterhouse’s Eaton Hall was razed to the ground in 1963. From the turn of the 20th century, interior woodwork, including complete panelled rooms, staircases and fittings such as these heraldic beasts secured an active market amongst rich Americans.

Bibliography: Anthony Wells-Cole, ‘Art and Decoration in Elizabethan and Jacobean England: The Influence of Continental Prints, 1558-1625’ (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Yale University Press New Haven & London, 1997).

Any questions please feel free to ask before you bid.   

ABOUT US

Royal House Antiques is a privately owned family ran business founded in Wimbledon SW19 and now based in Pulborough RH20. We specialise in finding, restoring very fine luxury antique leather seating, along with every single other type of antique ranging from the 16th century to the 20th century. We also stock a number of designer brands such as Fritz Hansen, Ralph Lauren, Cavalli, Charles & Ray Eames, Vitra, David Linley, Rolex, Tiffany, Jager Le Coulter and so on     

PAYMENTS

We accept payment via Bitcoin, Bitcoin cash, Ethereum, Bacs, Chaps, PayPal or Card, we would kindly ask that all items are paid for within 48 hours and collected within 7 working days, we can hold all paid items for 14 days free of charge, there after a £20 a week storage fee will apply. We have long term storage which is very economically priced, we are happy to hold stock for as long as needed providing it is arranged prior to the purchase 

If sold items aren’t collected within three months and no arrangements have been made for long term storage you will forfeit the item and payment

CONDITION

Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition. Please also ask any questions before you bid and not after, all of our items are sold as seen and as listed

Royal House Antiques cannot be held liable for any independent assumptions made regarding the items we sell, if you are unsure on any point, please feel free to ask for clarity  

Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade   

IMPORT DUTY

Most countries charge some kind of import duty however almost all of our items won’t incur any charges as the items are exempt from tax due to the age and materials used

For European deliveries the price you will be quoted will include all clearance documentation and any customs charges so there won’t be any additional fees

For international deliveries such as the United States there can be some import duty to pay and or a clearance fee, I would estimate that 99% of all deliveries clear customs without being stopped for either

All duties are the responsibility of the purchaser who is the importer, they can’t be covered by the seller or shipping agent or factored in with additional retrospective discounts

RETURNS

Royal House Antiques offers a no quibble return policy if the item is not as described, if there are any issues with the piece you will be refunded in full once the item has been returned and inspected within 14 days, alternatively if there is a small issue, we can discuss finding a mutual resolution that makes all parties happy

We don’t offer a sale on approval service which means you can purchase the item, have it delivered and if you simply don’t like it, return it, this comes under change of mind or doesn’t fit. There is a lot of time, money and work involved in transporting goods around the world, the costs incurred can be vast so my advice would be if you are unsure on a piece please ask as many questions as you like to make sure you understand everything before you buy, if you are still unsure then please either arrange a viewing in person or if that’s not possible then don’t buy from an online retailer, perhaps look for a local gallery instead