748 - Rare Neo-Gothic tiled stove

Rare Neo-Gothic tiled stove Designed by Conrad Wilhelm Hase, Hanover, ca. 1860. Ceramic, green and brown glazed tiles; cast iron. H. 230 cm, W. 100 cm, D. 65 cm. Condition: The stove has been professionally disassembled. Not tested for operational condition. Two-part construction. The base is adorned with quatrefoil tracery tiles and features a cast-iron lattice door with a front-mounted ash pan; it is topped by a robust cornice. The upper section features a crenellated crown and a sculpted leaf frieze. Below this are two figurative relief panels depicting scenes in a Gothic interior, framed by vine borders. Below that is an inscription panel in Gothic Fraktur script with a gold-colored initial: "Happiness and art are God’s favor. Outside, snow and ice; inside, lively diligence; a cheerful fire in the stove and a barn full of grain; a heart warm with love and a house full of children—that is spring in the midst of winter. May God grant you this.” Conrad Wilhelm Hase (1818–1902) is considered one of the most important representatives of the Neo-Gothic movement in Germany. He taught architecture at the Hanover Polytechnic starting in 1849, served as a Royal Hanoverian Building Inspector, and, beginning in 1863, as Chief Architect of the Hanover Regional Church. As the founder of the Hanover School of Architecture, he had a lasting influence on the architecture of northern Germany. His major works include the Künstlerhaus and the Christuskirche in Hanover, as well as Marienburg Castle. His home, the “Hasenburg,” was destroyed during World War II.