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Antique Victorian Aesthetic Movement Bamboo Folding Fire Screen | Hand-Painted Floral | Foxed Mirrors | 3-Panel | 32"H
Item Description:
A gorgeous example of Victorian Aesthetic Movement design — a three-panel folding fire screen in tortoiseshell-finish burnt bamboo, featuring a beautifully hand-painted floral center panel and flanking foxed mercury mirror side panels. This style was at the height of fashion in England and America during the 1870s–1890s, when the Anglo-Japanese taste for bamboo furniture was enormously popular.
Features:
Center panel: Hand-painted bouquet of yellow roses and flowers on a dark silvered ground — rich, atmospheric Victorian still-life painting
Two side panels: Original foxed/antiqued mercury mirrors with wonderful age patina
Burnt tortoiseshell bamboo frame throughout — characteristic of high-quality Victorian bamboo furniture
Decorative open geometric bamboo fretwork across the upper section — classic Aesthetic Movement detail
Three panels fold for easy storage
Stands independently
Dimensions:
Height: 32"
Center panel width: 14"
Each side panel width: 8"
Total width open: approximately 30"
Condition: Antique — age-appropriate wear; foxing and silvering loss to mirrors consistent with 130+ years of age; painted panel retains strong color and detail; bamboo frame sturdy and intact
Perfect for: Victorian interior enthusiasts, Aesthetic Movement collectors, bamboo furniture collectors, or as a stunning decorative fireplace accent
Condition: Used – Good Antique Condition
Shipping: Carefully packed for safe delivery
Diana Coomans – “Le Messager de l'Amour” (1890) – Reverse Glass Artwork, Signed – Gilded Frame, Framer Stamp
A captivating 19th-century reverse glass artwork attributed to Belgian painter Diana Coomans (1861–1952), signed and dated Paris, 1890. Titled “Le Messager de l’Amour”, this romantic neoclassical scene portrays two young women releasing a dove from a cage to deliver a handwritten love message — a motif that appears in several versions by both Diana and her father, Heva Coomans.
This piece is executed on convex glass and housed in a deeply ornate gilded wood frame, retaining the original framer’s stamp:
Georges Fontaine Fils, 19 Place Alsace Lorraine, Lorient.
Artist: Diana Coomans (signed and dated)
Title: Le Messager de l’Amour
Date: 1890
Signature: “Diana Coomans, Paris 1890” on glass
Medium: Artwork on convex glass
Frame: Gilded, ornate 19th-century wood with framer’s stamp (Georges Fontaine Fils, Lorient)
Outer Frame Dimensions: Approx. 15" x 12"
Visible Artwork Area: Approx. 11" x 9"
Condition: Excellent for age. Glass and image vibrant. Frame shows light wear consistent with age.
Diana Coomans belonged to a prominent family of artists known for romanticized scenes of Pompeii and antiquity.
This theme — the “Messenger of Love” — was explored multiple times by both Diana and her father.
Reverse glass works of this subject and condition are rarely encountered today, particularly with such strong provenance and period framing.
A fully original and unrestored folding armchair from the French Second Empire period, circa 1860–1875, retaining its period crewelwork upholstery on both seat and backrest — a rare and increasingly hard-to-find survival.
The ebonized hardwood frame is formed in the distinctive curule X-base associated with Napoleon III-era French campaign and occasional seating. Its scrolled, swept arms retain subtle traces of original gilt-painted decoration along the inner surfaces, consistent with refined Parisian cabinetmaking of the period. The folding mechanism remains fully functional and structurally sound.
Both seat and back are upholstered in what appears to be the original 19th-century crewelwork embroidery — wool thread on a tan linen-woven ground — featuring a richly worked floral design with star-like blossoms in muted blue, ivory, and sage tones, interwoven with olive and burgundy foliage and berry detailing. The composition continues seamlessly across the seat, the front of the backrest, and the reverse panel, an uncommon and noteworthy detail suggesting a purpose-made textile application rather than later adaptation. Original brass nail-head trim secures the upholstery throughout.
The piece is presented entirely as found. The frame retains its original ebonized surface with honest wear consistent with age. The textile shows authentic, time-earned patina including gentle fading, light edge fraying, and surface wear to high points — all expected of a genuine 19th-century furnishing that has not been concealed, restored, or altered.
A rare opportunity to acquire an untouched decorative seating piece that has survived in true original condition.
— Dimensions: H 34 in (deployed) · Seat 14 × 14 in · Seat height 19 in
— Origin: France, circa 1860–1875
— Style: Napoleon III / Second Empire
— Condition: Unaltered original; structurally sound frame; upholstery shows age-appropriate wear
— Upholstery: Period crewelwork needlework on linen, wool thread, original brass nail-head trim
— Frame: Ebonized hardwood with gilt decorative accents, curule folding X-base