‘Gibilaro Design with over a quarter century of expertise in the manufacture of register grates, working on fireplace projects in historical buildings and sourcing antique register pieces. Provenance is a critical aspect of their work, providing context and historical legitimacy to each piece in their collection. The firm prides itself on the meticulous attention to historical detail, offering insight into the lives and times that these artifacts have traversed’.

One piece with a particularly interesting history is our bright Regency register grate. This exceptional piece serves as a tangible connection to a pivotal moment in geopolitical history—the Louisiana Purchase. This transformative deal, which spurred the expansion of the United States, was facilitated by the financier Alexander Baring. Baring was deeply woven into the political landscape of the time, maintaining personal connections with influential figures like Talleyrand, Napoleon’s chief diplomat.

After Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, Baring acquired The Grange where he showcased his impressive art collection, which included pieces acquired directly from Talleyrand. In 1816, The Grange was adorned with a chimneypiece featuring effigies of Napoleon and Josephine, epitomizing the zenith of continental craftsmanship. This chimneypiece stood in stark contrast to our ‘bright register grate’, which showcased British metallurgical prowess and neoclassical design aesthetics. The grate symbolized the British ambition to demonstrate their superior craftsmanship, as reflected in the furniture commissioned by the Prince Regent for Napoleon’s residence during his exile.

There is no direct documentation on the designer of this ‘bright register grate’, it has however been attributed to the foundry of W & S Summers which together with the Burton Foundry was used by Bullock and the Vulliamys who specialised in acting as Marchand-merciers for the provision of bronze and metal ornamentation for chimneypieces. The firm of Vulliamy, whom had moved from the production of clocks into that of chimneypieces with bronze and gilded ornamentation, they would design the work of art, sub-contract and then complete the manufacture of the components. The Vulliamys were involved in the manufacture of ornamentation for George Bullock. Between 1805 and 1815 they received commissions for some twenty one chimneypieces in whole or part. Their clients included the Prince Regent & Charles Cockerell.

The design of the ‘bright register’ grate bears close resemblance to those of George Bullock, the celebrated designer of Napoleon’s furniture at his house on Elba and whose other grates had all been manufactured by W & S Summers foundry.

Bullock died in 1820, three years after Alexander Baring had been gifted the Napoleon chimneypiece by Talleyrand. Currently most of what we know of Bullocks designs are to be found in the book entitled ‘Tracings by Thomas Wilkinson from the design of the late Mr George Bullock 1820’. The Wilkinson Tracings contain numerous designs for inlaid ornament on furniture, which feature neoclassical motifs and instructions for bronze ornamentation, which could have been produced in wood or metal. One page of these designs id dedicated to chimneypieces and grates.

The resemblance extends to the frieze decoration, which mirrors the pattern of alternating rosettes and harebells found in the Wilkinson Tracings and on the ‘bright register grate’ from The Grange. Correspondence between Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy and Bullock alludes to a partnership, though the specific commission mentioned in their letters has yet to be identified.

This similarity is particularly noticeable in the frieze decoration, which features a pattern of alternating rosettes and harebells, akin to those in the Wilkinson Tracings and on the ‘bright register grate’ from The Grange.

The current location of the original chimneypiece that housed the grate is currently unknown. However, the grate itself was fortuitously rediscovered in a barn at Grange Park with another register grate.

The piece is now available to view at our showrooms by appointment or can be seen online here [link]. ‘