19th Century French Gilt Bronze Jewelry Casket with Cameos

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19th Century French Gilt Bronze Jewelry Casket with Cameos

About the Item

This is a beautiful antique French Napoleon III gilded ormolu Jewelry casket, circa 1860 in date. The top, front, sides and back are beautifully cast and tooled in gilt bronze with superb foliate decoration and it is further decorated with three beautiful cameos. Each is a superbly carved bust of a classical lady, set on violet opaline glass raised on a decorative ormolu border on red ground. The interior is lined with the original button backed silk and is ready to store your precious items. It is a lovely piece which is functional as well as being highly decorative. Condition: In really excellent condition, the interior fabric shows minor signs of wear commensurate with age and use, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 8.5 x width 12 x depth 7 Dimensions in inches: Height 3 inches x width 5 inches x depth 3 inches 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-colored 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). Carved Cameo Shell Although occasionally used in Roman cameos, the earliest prevalent use of shell for cameo carving was during the Renaissance, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Before that time, cameos were carved from hardstone. The Renaissance cameos are typically white on a grayish background and were carved from the shell of a mussel or cowry, the latter a tropical mollusk. In the mid-18th century, explorations revealed new shell varieties. Helmet shells from the West Indies, and queen conch shells from the Bahamas and West Indies, arrived in Europe. This sparked a big increase in the number of cameos that were carved from shells. Conch shells carve very well, but their color fades over time. After 1850 demand for cameos grew, as they became popular souvenirs of the Grand Tour among the middle class. Cameo subjects Classically the designs carved onto cameo stones were either scenes of Greek or Roman mythology or portraits of rulers or important dignitaries. In history, agate portrait cameos were often gifts from royalty to their subjects. These antique cameos, some more than 2000 years old, are either displayed in museums or are in private collections. Please feel free to email or call us to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.

Dimensions:
Height: 3.35 in (8.5 cm)Width: 4.73 in (12 cm)Depth: 2.76 in (7 cm)
Style:
Napoleon III (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Mid-19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1860
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 081231stDibs: LU95068224103