I referenced the lion's head corbel in my last blog post. I thought I should provide a close up of this incredible application using this corbel.  The lion's head corbel visually becomes the pilaster supporting the mantel shelf.  The the other hand carved elements of the mantle surround are the oval rosette above the lion, the large acanthus crown molding, the dentil molding below the crown wit h egg and dart trim, the ornate frieze molding in the main field below th mantel shelf and the framed center carving.  The gold paint apparently has been glazed to add depth to the carvings to great effect.