Aesthetic Style Mantel
A mantel is the part of a fireplace that frames the opening of the hearth (where the fire is). A fire screen is a protective barrier placed between the flames and the people sitting near the fireplace. When the fireplace is not being used, the fire screen can sit in the hearth. It adds a decorative touch and hides the hearth. The motifs carved on this piece are symbolic, with roots in the Old Testament and in ancient and medieval literature.

Firescreen
The relief carving on this oak fire screen tells a story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent twines around the tree trunk and extends his head toward Eve. There is reference to another story in the figures of a lion and a lamb. Below this scene is a carved panel of pomegranate fruit, flowers, and leaves. 

Mantel
The mantelpiece consists of rectangular panels carved with designs of various plants, such as the thistle, the raspberry or bramble, the acanthus leaf, and the sunflower, all popular motifs of Aesthetic Style. The top center panel is a shield with the date "1888" carved in the middle. To either side of the shield is a panel with scrolling foliage. To see all the labeled parts, view the Design Elements diagram from the Aesthetic Style page.