Object Description
A gorgeous and rare antique English 19th-century Victorian ormolu-mounted burr walnut library table, circa 1860 in date.
It features decorative king wood crossbanding with boxwood and hatched line inlay and has a rare central burr walnut writing surface. It is raised on square tapering legs that terminate in brass cap castors. The frieze is fitted with two useful oak-lined drawers that have been embellished with decorative ormolu mounts, so this desk is a statement piece that is sure to get noticed wherever you choose to display it.
Condition:
In really excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 75 cm x Width 108 cm x Depth 67 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 2 foot, 5 inches x Width 3 foot, 6 inches x Depth 2 foot, 2 inches
Burr Walnut
refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.
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, adhering to the metal object.
Our reference: A5176