An Elegant Period Regency Register Grate with Brass Inlay attributed to George Bullock

An elegant period Regency register grate with brass inlay. The polished iron front surround in three moulded sunken panels. The continuous frieze comprises of rosette encased by harebell in engraved brass inlay. The pannelled pilasters depict a flower in side section on standard intertwined with foliage, again in engraved brass inlay.
The front basket with three shaped wrought fire bars over spheres flanked by brass panelled hob fronts with enclosed palmette finials. The large burning area with cast-iron fire enclosure for a magnificent fire. Designer: We believe by George Bullock.
Maker: W & S Summers. Restored.

Provenance: The Grange, Northington.
1804 Architect William Wilkins
1823 Additons by Charles Robert Cockerell RA (1788 – 1863)
The last photo shows the register within a statuary white marble chimneypiece at The Grange.

Circa 1823

Notes:
This register grate serves as a tangible link to a watershed moment in geopolitical history – the Lousianna Purchase. The transaction, which catalyzed the expansion of the United States, was facilated by financier Alexander Baring. Baring was deeply integrated into the politcal fabric of the era, with personal connections to prominent figures such as Talleyrand, Napoleon’s chief diplomat.

Following Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, Baring acquired The Grange and sought to display his art collection including pieces sourced by Talleyrand. In 1816, a chimneypiece graced with the effigies of Napoleon & Josephine was installed at The Grange, symbolizing the height of continental craftsmanship. This chimneypiece presented a stark contrast to the ‘bright register grate’, which exemplified British metallurgical skill and neoclassical design principles. The grate was emblematic of the British desire to showcase superior craftsmanship, as evidenced by the furniture commissioned by the Prince Regent for Napoleon’s residence during his exile.

The bright register grate could possibly be produced by the foundries associated with 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. Stylistically, the grate aligns with the designs attributed to Bullock, as found in the Wilkinson Tracings, which feature neoclassical motifs and instructions for bronze ornamentation. 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.