Object Description
This is an elegant antique French Art Nouveau ormolu columnar table lamp with shade, late 19th Century in date.
The table lamp features a knopped bulbous column with a Fleur de Lis leaf base on a weighted stepped circular pedestal.
Add an element of French Art Nouveau style to your home with this exquisite solid bronze antique table lamp.
Provenance:
Privately owned Belgrave Square residence, London.
Condition:
In excellent working condition having been beautifully cleaned and rewired, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:Height 36 cm x Width 16 cm x Depth 16 cm
Dimensions in inches:Height 1 foot, 2 inches x Width 6 inches x Depth 6 inches
Ormolu – Gilt Bronze (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.
After around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury other techniques were used instead. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt..
Our reference: A4679