Kaminschirm aus dem Kabinett der Königin Karoline

Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen

Description

If there were a "list of types of furniture threatened by extinction" - the fireguard would nicely fit in it. At the times when rooms were still heated by stoves and fireplaces, it was widespread, since it kept away excessive heat and sparks from people and furnishings.

The fireguard of the Bavarian Queen Karoline (1776-1841), restored in 2000, was not only useful, but also constituted a particularly lavish part of the artistic craftwork to which it belonged. The valuable furnishings of the queen’s cabinet were coordinated to one another: mahogany served as the predominant wood. Wall-coverings, upholstery and the backside of the chimney screen consisted of white Gros de Tours (grosgrain), a plain-woven silk fabric with a floral pattern. While the mahogany frame of the fireguard is richly decorated with gilded bronze ornaments, the central finial in the form of a pinecone is missing these days. The front is covered in white silk and embroidered with a parrot. He sits on a bird’s perch and holds cherries in his claw. A pair of cornucopia from which flowers grow and a palmetto border running all around put the bird, popular as an exotic domestic animal, in scene. The back of the white Gros de Tours is embroidered with the monogram of the queen, a "C" in the midst of pansies.

Today, the fireguard can be seen in the Queen’s bedroom (room 20) of Nymphenburg Castle.

Author

Cordula Mauß

Rights Statement Description

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0