[PIECE in the artistic sense.]
† 1. A picture, piece of sculpture, or of tapestry, placed as an ornament over a fireplace. Obs.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., II. iv. 8. The Chimney Is South the Chamber, and the Chimney-peece Chaste Dian, bathing.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xiii. (1634), 128. I have seene many peeces of his [Hans Holben] in oyle, and once of his owne draught with a penne a most curious chimney-peece.
1647–8. Evelyn, Mem., 28 Jan. (1857), I. 254. A very good chimney-piece of water-colours.
1672. Sir C. Wyvill, Triple Crown, 167. A Cut (black and white) which serves for a Chimney Piece.
2. The ornamental structure, usually of stone or marble, with molding, carving, etc., over and around the open recess of a fireplace. b. Now often used for the simple projecting slab or shelf over the fireplace, the MANTEL-SHELF.
1680. Evelyn, Mem., 18 April. Excellent carving by Gibbons, especialy the chimney-piece of ye library.
1726. Neve, Builder’s Dict. (ed. 2), Chimney-piece, certain Mouldings of Wood, or Stone, standing on the fireside of the Jambs, and coming over the Mantle-tree.
1790. Gouv. Morris, Life & Writ. (1832), I. 348. I stay sone time leaning on the chimney piece.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 206. Those beautiful chimney-pieces … known all over the kingdom by the name of Kilkenny marble.
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1825), vi. 100. A little fat plaster-man on the chimney piece.
1851. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 153.
attrib. 1848. Clough, Bothie, IX. 50. Poor alabaster chimney-piece ornaments under glass cases.
