Antique French Ormolu Mounted Vitrine Display Cabinet, 19th C

About the Item

This is a beautiful antique French ormolu mounted mahogany vitrine, circa 1870 in date. This beautiful cabinet is of slender form with gilt bronze ormolu mounts and a moulded cornice. The cornice sits above a glazed panelled door and glazed sides enclosing glass shelves, and raised on an elegant plinth base. Complete with working locks and keys. It will add a touch of unparalleled style to your home and is perfect for displaying your collection of silver or porcelain. THE BOTANICAL NAME FOR THE MAHOGANY THIS ITEM IS MADE OF IS SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA AND THIS TYPE OF MAHOGANY IS NOT SUBJECT TO CITES REGULATION. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 103 x Width 48 x Depth 34 Dimensions in inches: Height 3 foot, 5 inches x Width 1 foot, 7 inches x Depth 1 foot, 1 inch Mahogany is probably one of the largest ‘families’ of hardwood, having many different varieties within its own species. Mahogany has been used for centuries in ship building, house building, furniture making etc and is the core structure of just about every 19th century vanity box, dressing case or jewellery box. It became more of a Victorian trend to dress Mahogany with these decorative veneers, such as Burr Walnut and Coromandel, so that the actual Mahogany was almost hidden from view. Mahogany itself is a rich reddish brown wood that can range from being plain in appearance to something that is so vibrant, figured and almost three dimensional in effect. Although Mahogany was most often used in its solid form, it also provided some beautifully figured varieties of veneer like ‘Flame’ Mahogany and ‘Fiddleback’ Mahogany (named after its preferred use in the manufacture of fine musical instruments). Cuban Mahogany was so sought after, that by the late 1850's, this particular variety became all but extinct. 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.

Dimensions:

Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Width: 18.9 in (48 cm)Depth: 13.39 in (34 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Glass,Mahogany,Ormolu

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

1870-1879

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1870

Condition:

Seller Location: