Object Description
This is an absolutely fabulous antique French “Japonesque” ormolu mounted porcelain tripod dish, late 19th Century in date.
Beautifully hand painted with a central panel depicting a Japanese man wearing a conical straw hat with two swords in his belt. The panel painted on an ornately decorated cream ground with a Bleu Celeste border and decorative gilded highlights. The stunning ormolu mount decorated in relief with birds, butterflies and foliage, with pierced oriental style handles and riased on claw feet
Condition:
In really excellent condition, with no chips, cracks or repairs, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 12 x Width 50 x Depth 40
Dimensions in inches:
Height 4.7 x Width 19.7 x Depth 15.7
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.
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: 08876