A carved statuary marble chimneypiece circa 1778, attributed to Lorenzo Cardelli

the rectangular shelf with fluted and leaf carved mouldings and a narrow ribbon carved band, the freize elaborately carved with leaf scrolls interspersed with paterae and small animals flanking a pair of cherubs supporting an oval medallion of The Three Graces tending to a baby in a basket accompanied by putti, the aperture within a cavetto moulding carved with an anthemion border, the jambs each with panels of leafy scrolls issuing from flower heads and interspersed with birds, all framed by lappet mouldings headed by paterae and neo-classical oval medallions

Almost certainly acquired in Italy by Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry (1730-1803) and installed at Downhill Castle, County Derry.
Removed from Downhill Castle prior to its demolition in 1950 and installed in the present owner's house shortly thereafter.

E.R.R. Green, 'Downhill Castle, County Derry, Northern Ireland', Country Life, 6 January 1950, pp.34-37.

Related Literature:
Alvar González-Palacios, Il gusto dei principi, Milan, 1993, pp. 245-246;
Alvar González-Palacios, Il Tempio Del Gusto, pp. 124, 175 and 176;
J. Ingamells, A Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy, 1997, p. 127

General unrestored condition. Characteristic discolourations and minor losses. Overall a beautifully carved and conceived chimney piece. Some very small nibbles to the front edge of shelf with larger chips to rear corners. Some slight discolouration and surface dirt. Small chips to carved detail. The oval central tablet with four small drilled holes, presumably to take a gilt bronze beaded surround. It is probable that there were further elements to the base of the jambs, or bases and to the base of the anthemia carved inner slip which terminates abruptly. It is therefore probable that the jambs have been reduced in height slightly.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lots 114 and 115 were almost certainly part of a group of chimney pieces and other works of Art acquired for Downhill Castle circa 1778 by Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Derry. This is supported by a letter he wrote to one of his daughters from Rome that year stating `I am purchasing treasures for the Down Hill which I flatter myself will be a Tusculanium' (quoted E.R.R. Green op. cit., p.36). Furthermore a letter from Father Thorpe, Lord Arundell's agent, refers to the commissioning of three such chimneypieces in Rome by the 4th Earl during 1778 which were intended for Downhill Castle (quoted Ingamells, op. cit., p. 127).

DOWNHILL CASTLE
Situated towards the North Sea, flanked by the Headlands of the Giant's Causeway and Lough Foyle, the building was faced with Freestone from the nearby Dungiven quarries. It was the Bishop himself who conceived the Castle's design, for which building work commenced in 1776. He employed the services of the foreman Michael Shanahan who had previously accompanied him to Europe in 1770, to make plans of bridges. Shanahan completed his work on Downhill in 1787 and subsequently acquired a marble works in Cork. The fact that he employed Italian Stuccadores under the direction of Placido Colombani, suggests he may have already had links with Roman marble workers such as Cardelli at the time of the 4th Earls visit there in 1778.

Following the Earl Bishop's death in 1803, Downhill passed to his nephew, the Rev. Henry Bruce. The house was almost completely gutted by a fire in May 1851 whereupon the losses to his collection included twenty pieces of sculpture and a Raphael, The Boar Hunt. Bruce's descendants remained at the Castle until after the 1914-18 war and the estate was sold prior to 1950 after which the main house was demolished. Now the only remaining edifices are the cliff-edge situated Mussednen temple (built as a memorial to his cousin's daughter), the third Earls Mausoleum and the entrance gateways. Downhill Castle was the first of of Frederick Hervey's great houses which was followed by the uncompleted Ballyscullion in 1787 and his celebrated house at Ickworth, Suffolk. He was also responsible for a group of churches and an episcopal residence in Londonderry - The Casino, also demolished shortly after World War II.

FREDERICK, AGUSTUS HERVEY, 4TH EARL OF BRISTOL AND BISHOP OF DERRY
Grandson to John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol and title successor to his two brothers, the 4th Earl was famous for his life of constant travel on the Continent dressed in plush breeches, purple slippers and a straw hat. He was guided towards his career in the church by his poor prospects as a younger son and took holy orders in 1754. However it was not until 1767 when his brother was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland that he sucured a bishopric. During the following year he became Bishop of Derry, one of the wealthiest sees in Ireland. Besides his ecclesiastical leanings, he also dabbled in politics becoming an Irish radical leader of the Volunteer movement. His acquaintances included Voltaire, Alfieri, Benjamin Franklin, Goethe and Frederick William II of Russia. Perhaps most pertinent to his passion for Italian works of art,  were Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador in Naples and his wife Emma who became close friends in his latter years. The Earl Bishop's collection was one of the most original and progressive of its date. As well as patronizing first-rate contemporary sculptors such as Flaxman and Canova, he aimed to build up a representational historical collection of paintings similar to that eventually established by the National Gallery. These included works by Cimabue, Giotto, Guido da Sienna, Marco da Sienna, Albert Durer and Correggio. Besides his purchases on the Continent, the Earl-Bishop also bid for pictures in the London sale-rooms, which survived as the nucleus of the family collection. His intention was to arrange his new gallery at Ickworth in chronological order, the different schools divided by painted pilasters. Unfortunately he died in 1803 before this ambition could be realised.

THE ATTRIBUTION TO LORENZO CARDELLI

The attribution to Lorenzo Cardelli is based on shared elements with the following lot which marked similarites with a docmented chimneypiece by Cardelli recorded at Penrice Castle (see note to lot 115). In particular the present lot features the same arrangement of three oval medallions to the frieze panel. Other elements that are common to both chimnepieces (lots 114 and 115) are the distinctive ribbon carved mouldings to each of the friezes and the paterae to the jambs of the offered lot which correlate with those surrounding the aperture of the following lot. Furthermore close comparison can be made with the pattern of the carved foliated scrolls to the jamb panels here and the design of the micro-mosaic found on the corresponding panels to the documented Penrice chimneypiece by Cardelli and Aguatii Romano. One more element found here which is repeated in the same position on the Penrice example is the carved anthemion border surrounding the aperture.

We are grateful to Roberto Valeriani for his assistance in compiling this footnote.