19th Century Pair of Louis XV French Carrara Marble Urns

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19th Century Pair of Louis XV French Carrara Marble Urns

About the Item

This is a magnificent antique pair of French figured Carrara marble and gilded bronze urns in the Louis XV manner and dating from circa 1870. The urns feature gilt bronze gadrooned covers with acorn finials on pierced reeded necks. The pair of swan handles has draping coronets of ribbon, foliage and blooming flowers to the tapering ovoid shaped body. The twisted scalloped ormolu stem terminates with a civic wreath and they are raised on square plinth base with acanthus clasps. These lovely urns make a statement and will look fantastic flanking a mantel or sideboard. A fabulous antique find of the highest quality and sure to be noticed wherever they are displayed. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 51 x width 22 x depth 22 and weight 29 troy oz. Dimensions in inches: Height 1 foot, 8 inches x width 9 inches x depth 9 inches. Ormolu - Gilded 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, adhered to the metal object. No true ormolu was produced in France after, circa 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). Carrara marble - is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It is quarried at the city of Carrara in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany, Italy). Carrara marble has been used since the time of Ancient Rome; the Pantheon and Trajan's column in Rome are constructed of it. Many sculptures of the Renaissance, such as Michelangelo's David, were carved from Carrara marble. For Michelangelo at least, Carrara marble was valued above all other stone, except perhaps that of his own quarry in Pietrasanta. The Marble Arch in London and the Duomo di Siena are also made from this stone, as are the interiors of Manila Cathedral, the cold-white marbles of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the campus of Harvard Medical School.

Dimensions:
Height: 20.08 in (51 cm)Width: 8.67 in (22 cm)Depth: 8.67 in (22 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Louis XV (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Carrara Marble,Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1870
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 075131stDibs: LU95065240673