Vintage Pair of Solid Malachite and Gilt Bronze Domed Casket, 20th Century

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Vintage Pair of Solid Malachite and Gilt Bronze Domed Casket, 20th Century

About the Item

This is a superb quality pair of domed malachite caskets dating from the second half of the 20th Century. Decorated with fabulous gilt bronze ormolu claw feet with ormolu handles. Made from solid malachite and in really superb condition. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and polished in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 19 x width 29 x depth 16 Dimensions in inches: Height 7.5 x width 11.4 x depth 6.3 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 travelers. 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. 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 color. 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).

Dimensions:
Height: 7.49 in (19 cm)Width: 11.42 in (29 cm)Depth: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Malachite,Ormolu
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1970
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 09234a1stDibs: LU950612308733