Ormolu Pedestals

The exquisite art of pietre dure is at its absolute finest in this spectacular pair of Russian ormolu and malachite plinths. True works of art of the Restauration period, these plinths each feature a matching pietre dure mosaic crafted of the finest stones, all chosen to create a sense of depth and dimensionality in the final work. Depicting an onyx vase with tulips, roses, daffodils, magnolia and other flowers, these pietre dure panels are among the finest examples of this ancient art we have seen. The pietre dure is complemented by malachite panels of the highest quality, exhibiting exceptional depth through its extraordinary cellular structure. Malachite is one of Russia’s most precious stones, and its presence in these plinths indicates commission and ownership by an individual of considerable status. Mounted in an excellent stepped ormolu base, these plinths originally served as bases for vases or candelabra. The overall execution and appearance of these plinths is very characteristic of the taste associated with the immensely wealthy collector Nicolas Demidoff. As early as 1806, Demidoff had commissioned the Parisian goldsmith Henri August to supply a guéridon; in 1819, he ordered famed French bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire to supply mounts for a massive malachite vase (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), as well as a console table with legs in the form of Nike. Other commissions included a table given as a gift to Grand Duke Leopoldo II of Florence, now in the Pitti Palace. Demidoff eventually settled in Florence in 1822 and became Russian minister to the Tuscan Court. Elevated to the rank of Count of San Donato by the Grand Duke, he built a magnificent villa at San Donato on the site of lands formerly owned by the Medici. The villa was later inherited by Anatole, his son, Prince of San Donato, and there are records which confirm transactions he had with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The 19th century proved to be the golden age of Russian malachite. The stone became a sign of prestige and a token of wealth, so much so that Russian papers of the time wrote: "To afford having a big piece wrought in malachite is synonymous to owning diamonds." Year after year the Russian (Romanov) treasury paid increasingly unreasonable prices to hoard the best malachite, much of which went into Romanov palaces and extravagant objets d'art. The Hermitage Museum possesses a collection of over two hundred examples of this “palatial” malachite...

Attractive Pair of Neoclassical style gilt bronze mounted black marble pedestals. Beautiful ormolu mounts with fine details. Late 20th century.

Pair of large Sèvres style pedestals in porcelain, ormolu and green onyx French, late 19th century Height 87cm, width 40cm, depth 40cm Thes...

Neoclassical style gilt bronze mounted blackish marble pedestal height 41 in ; width 13 in ; depth 13 in

An Interesting Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze and Onyx Pedestal Square onyx swivel top above four finely chiseled and designed gilt bronze pillars, standing on a tiered base on bronz...

Antique French Empire pedestal, circa 1890.

Antique late 19th century French ormolu mounted Empire-style pedestal, cast and figurine depicting a Greek goddess along with sculpted heads overlaid with flora. The middle design de...

Magnificent French Neoclassical Ormolu Mounted Verdigris Marble Pedestal France, Paris, Late 19th century This magnificent French neoclassical ormolu mounted verdigris marble pede...

Pair of large French Neoclassical ormolu, glass and marble pedestals French, 20th century Height 112.5cm, width 36cm, depth 36cm These exceptional pieces are a pair of large Fre...

French Neoclassical gilt-bronze and rouge griotte marble pedestal. French, 19th century. Measures: height 123 cm, width 41 cm, depth 41 cm. In an hi...

A pair of gilt-bronze, parquetry and marble pedestal by Alexandre Hugnet, Paris French, Late 19th century Measures: Height 122cm, width 43cm, depth 43cm Made by the Parisian cra...

A highly important pair of Charles-Guillame Diehl and Jean Brandely Museum Quality Ormolu and Porcelain Mounted Ebony Neo-Grec Torchères / Pedestals circa 1870. Majestic and exemp...

A Palatial very fine and rare pair of French 19th century Louis XV style Ormolu and Malachite Pedestal side tables, attributed to Frédéric-Eugène Piat (French, 1827-1903), the bronze...

Pair of Neoclassical style gilt bronze and porcelain pedestals French, early 20th Century Measures: height 82 cm, width 26 cm, depth 26 cm This fine pedestal stands are charming...

Pair of antique Boullework brass marquetry stands French, 19th Century Measures: height 13cm, width 63cm, depth 34cm The stands in this pair are crafted from ebonised wood mount...

An impressive and most elegant French 19th century Louis XV st. kingwood, ormolu and Brèche Violette marble pedestal column, in the manner of François Linke. The pedestal is raised by beautiful lightly curved tapered legs with impressive finely detailed fitted foliate acanthus leaf sabots. A luxuriant ormolu wreath centers the arched frieze while a fine ormolu fillet extends up each corner of the slender most decoratively shaped body to charming richly chased floral designs in a satin and burnished finish. At the center is a lovely pierced foliate mount set on the exceptional veneered kingwood...

A striking and very high quality pair of French mid 19th century Neo-Classical st. mahogany and ormolu pedestal columns. Each circular pedestal is raised by three elegantly curved le...

A most impressive French 19th century Renaissance style patinated bronze and ormolu side table or Vide Poche tazza. The tazza is raised by handsome patinated bronze hoof feet with or...

A French 19th century very unusual and decorative pair of neo greek gilt and patinated cast iron sellettes en athéniennes With red griotte marble bassin...

Neoclassical style marble and porcelain pedestal French, late 19th century Measures: Height 108cm, width 30cm, depth 30cm This Fine column-form pedestal is crafted in the Neocla...

Pair of neoclassical style gilt bronze and ebonized wood stands French, late 19th century Measures: Height 110cm, diameter 46cm This fine pair...

Pair of malachite and gilt bronze stands in the Neoclassical style French, 20th century Measures: Height 88cm, width 47cm, depth 39cm Each pedestal in this pair, wrought from gilt bronze and malachite, is based on the shape of a Classical Greek tripod...

This colorful pedestal clock has been crafted from fine red marble and green onyx, and beautifully decorated with gilt bronze (ormolu) and champlevé enamel. While a popular crafts material in ancient times, onyx was largely forgotten about until its rediscovery in the mid-19th century in Algeria by a French marble-worker called Delmonte. Onyx became highly fashionable in France following this discovery, and it was used to create a variety of decorative art objects. The clock features a green onyx cube-shaped case, which is surmounted by a slightly projecting red marble top. This top is fringed with champlevé enamel drapery-like motifs, with gilt bronze drop-finials. The case is mounted on its front with a circular dial, which features a central floral champlevé enamel motif, encircled by black Arabic Numerals. This dial is set within a gilt bronze egg-and-dart and champlevé enamel bezel. The sides of the case are mounted with circular gilt bronze barometers...

This stunning occasional table is crafted from onyx, gilt bronze, and champlevé enamel, the result being a beautiful combination of colours, textures, and materials. The square table...

These beautiful pedestals are based on a design by the acclaimed French craftsman, Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806). Riesener was the official cabinetmaker to King Louis XVI, and was ...

These wonderful pedestals are crafted from the finest white onyx featuring beautiful natural orange parallel bands with lustrous golden gilt bronze (ormolu) mounts. The pedestals ...

Pair of French Empire Neo-classic style gilt bronze 3 leg pedestals with bird heads supporting a round grey marble top. (Maison Jansen, 1970s)

Antique ormolu and mounted mahogany stand with onyx top French, Late 19th Century Height 89cm, width 36cm, depth 36cm Crafted in the Neoclassical style, and taking inspiration from ...

Pair of Russian Gilt figural and ebonized marble top pedestals terminating on tripod winged hoof feet. Late 18th Century

Tremendous size and exquisite ormolu detailing distinguish this important 19th-century French pedestal. Crafted of ebony and ebonized woods, this outstanding fixture boasts intricate brass inlay and bold ormolu of exceptional quality on all four sides. Standing just over six feet tall and raised upon ormolu lion...