Early 20th Century Pair of French Neo-Classical Style Ormolu Wall Lights

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Early 20th Century Pair of French Neo-Classical Style Ormolu Wall Lights

About the Item

This is a stunning pair of vintage French neoclassical ormolu gilt bronze three branch wall sconces, circa 1920 in date. They feature ribbon tied and torch form back plates with laurel swags, scrolling branches with floral ends and urn form candle sockets. Superbly finished off with ribbon and bow finials and bell flower bottoms. Purchased from a fabulous house in Hampstead, London there is no mistaking their unique quality and design and they will soon instantly enhance the style of one special room in your home. Condition: In excellent condition having been cleaned, fully rewired and PAT tested. Please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 68 x Width 47 x Depth 29 Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 3 inches x Width 1 foot, 6 inches x Depth 11 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-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 colour. 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: 26.78 in (68 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 11.42 in (29 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Neoclassical (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1920-1929
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1920
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 08414a1stDibs: LU95068923793