French Marquetry Ormolu Mounted Jardiniere, 19th Century for sale at Pamono

Description

This is a superb antique French ormolu mounted mahogany and marquetry table jardiniere, circa 1860 in date. This beautiful jardiniere is serpentine in shape with splendid ormolu mounts the pierced gallery above specimen wood lattice panels flanked by ram’s head and laurel pilasters with side handles and a with a lift-out metal liner. The craftsmanship and finish are second to none. The item is not CITES pursuant. Condition: In excellent original condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 21 x Width 42 x Depth 27 Dimensions in inches: Height 8 inches x Width 1 foot, 4 inches x Depth 11 inches Ormolu – (from French ‘or moulu’, signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as ‘gilt bronze’. The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object. No true ormolu was produced in France after around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury. Therefore, other techniques were used instead but nothing surpasses the original mercury-firing ormolu method for sheer beauty and richness of colour. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt (also known as vermeil).