Object Description
A monumental pair of Neoclassical ormolu mounted malachite obelisks, Circa 1920 in date.
The square conforming malachite columns taper to pyramid shapes with applied decorative gilt ormolu mounts.
The obelisks stand on malachite stepped plinth bases that are decorated with impressive ormolu mounts and raised on decorative ormolu feet.
There is no mistaking the quality of this masterpiece which is sure to be a treasured addition to your home.
Condition:
In really excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 126 x Width 27 x Depth 27
Dimensions in inches:
Height 4 foot, 2 inches x Width 11 inches x Depth 11 inches
Malachite is an opaque, green banded mineral. It is believed to be a strong protector of children. It protects the wearer from accidents and protects travellers. Malachite has been used to aid success in business and protect against undesirable business associations. It is a stone of balance in relationships.
Malachite is always green, usually in banded tones varying from very dark green to a mellow green. Most malachite comes from Zaire, Chile and Australia.
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used malachite for jewellery and ground it to use as eye shadow. It is used in amulets to protect against the evil eye. In the Middle Ages it was used to protect children from witches and other dangers.
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.
Obelisk, tapered monolithic pillar, originally erected in pairs at the entrances of ancient Egyptian temples. The Egyptian obelisk was carved from a single piece of stone, usually red granite from the quarries at Aswān. It was designed to be wider at its square or rectangular base than at its pyramidal top, which was often covered with an alloy of gold and silver called electrum. All four sides of the obelisk’s shaft are embellished with hieroglyphs that characteristically include religious dedications, usually to the sun god, and commemorations of the rulers. While obelisks are known to have been erected as early as the 4th dynasty (c. 2575–2465 BCE), no examples from that era have survived. Obelisks of the 5th dynasty’s sun temples were comparatively squat (no more than 10 feet [3.3 metres] tall). The earliest surviving obelisk dates from the reign of Sesostris I (1918–1875 BCE) and stands at Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo, where once stood a temple to Re. One of a pair of obelisks erected at Karnak by Thutmose I (c. 1493–c. 1482 BCE) is 80 feet (24 metres) high, square at the base, with sides of 6 feet (1.8 metres), and 143 tons in weight.
Our reference: A3123