Pair 19th Century Fluorspar Marble Vases

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Pair 19th Century Fluorspar Marble Vases

About the Item

Incredibly rare pair of 19th century Campana shaped fluorspar vases. This large and well proportioned pair have been crafted into the most elegant of ancient form. The scarcity of this type of Fluorspar cannot truly be overstated, the classical purity of their Greco Roman design displays the stone to its full uncompromised visual effect. They are in very good condition for their age, use and handling. Fluorspar, also called Fluorite, is the mineral form of Calcium Fluoride. It belongs to the Halide minerals. Certain variants of this mineral, such as the type used in these fabulous vases, are regarded as semi-precious. It is incredibly difficult to work, due to its fractious nature, finding a pair of this size and with this almost unique figuration is extraordinarily uncommon. The word Fluorite is derived from the Latin verb fluere, meaning to flow. The mineral fluorite was originally termed Fluorospar and was first discussed in print in a 1530 work Bermannvs sive de re metallica dialogus ( Bermannus; or a dialogue about the nature of metals ), by Georgius Agricola, as a mineral noted for its usefulness as a flux. Agricola, a German scientist with expertise in philology, mining, and metallurgy, named Fluorspar as a neo-Latinisation of the German Flussspat from Fluß ( stream, river ) and "Spat", meaning a non-metallic mineral. Spar is an old mining or mineralogy term used to refer to crystals that have readily discernible faces. A spar will easily break or cleave into rhomboidal, cubical, or laminated fragments with smooth shiny surfaces. The various spar minerals were a historical term among miners and alchemists for any non-metallic mineral akin to Gypsum, known in Old English as spærstan, spear stone, referring to its crystalline projections. Thus, the word spar in mineralogy has the same root as "spear," by way of comparison to Gypsum, as a common natural crystal forming in spear like projections. In 1852, Fluorite gave its name to the phenomenon of fluorescence, which is prominent in fluorites from certain locations, due to certain impurities in the crystal. Fluorite also gave the name to its constitutive element Fluorine. Two grand classical vases sculpted from the rarest of semi precious stones. Approximate size: Height 13 inches Diameter of bowl: 7.25 inches Width of base: 7.25 inches Diameter of top: 5.9 inches.

Dimensions:
Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Diameter: 7.25 in (18.42 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Neoclassical (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Other,Turned
Place of Origin:
Europe
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1840
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1204210655281