Object Description
A stunning large antique French king wood Vernis Martin five panel display cabinet in the Louis XV manner and of extravagantly shaped Bombe form, circa 1870 in date, with exquisite hand painted decoration and exquisite ormolu mounts.
It has five decorative Vernis Martin panels with beautiful hand painted decoration, the central panel depicting a courting couple and the others with classical figures in pastoral country scenes. The central panel bears the artists signature, Le Brun.
The large central clear serpentine glazed door opening to a large capacious cupboard below, flanked by clear glazed serpentine panels, with further shaped glass on the sides.
It is smothered in gorgeous gilded ormolu mounts, the shaped apron with foliate mounts and sabots, standing on cabriole legs. The mirror backed interior is fitted with glass shelves, the lower shelf lined with golden velvet, to display your collection of china or silver beautifully.
This magnificent piece is in excellent condition and the quality and attention to detail throughout is second to none.
Add a touch of unparalleled style to your home.
Condition:
In really excellent original condition having only been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 193 x Width 115 x Depth 50
Dimensions in inches:
Height 6 foot, 4 inches x Width 3 foot, 9 inches x Depth 1 foot, 8 inches
Vernis Martin
is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans, snuffboxes and clocks. The process of adding bronze or gold powder to green varnish was perfected by the French brothers Guillaume and Etienne-Simon Martin, hence its name “Vernis Martin”, as Vernis is French for varnish. It is said to have been made by heating oil, copal and amber and then adding Venetian turpentine and the Martin brothers perfected the process with inclusions in the varnish, sprinkling spangles of silver plated copper wire into the wet varnish ground. Highly praised by Voltaire, it was developed to imitate East Asian lacquerware which was being imported into France during the Louis XV period. Vernis Martin was made in several colours, green, black and a golden red being the most characteristic.
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.
Our reference: A2932