Object Description
This is a stunning Antique pair of ormolu and porcelain two branch wall lights, Circa 1900 in date,
Of elegant classical form with a ribbon crest upturned reeded arms with acanthus decoration and foliate cast sconces, each back plate inset with a blue and white Jasperware porcelain plaque depicting classical maidens below a trailing bluebell finial.
There is no mistaking their unique quality and design and they will soon instantly enhance the style of one special room in your home.
Condition:
In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation of condition.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 46 cm x Width 30 cm x Depth 14 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 1 foot, 6 inches x Width 1 foot x Depth 5 inches
Jasperware
or jasper ware, is a type of stoneware first developed by Josiah Wedgwood, although some authorities have described it as a type of porcelain. It is noted for its matte finish and is produced in a number of different colours, of which the best known is a pale blue that has become known as ‘Wedgwood Blue’. “Jasper” in this context refers to the mineral of that name.
Wedgwood’s main designs are jasperware and black basalt. Many of the Wedgwood designs were based on the art of making cameo glass and on the looks of The Portland Vase.
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).
Our reference: A4358a