Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21

Antique French Oval Free Standing Vernis Martin Cabinet Vitrine, 19th Century

About the Item

This is a stunning and rare antique French Vernis Martin free standing display cabinet in the Louis XV manner, circa 1880 in date. The cabinet has a rouge marble top with an ormolu pierced brass half gallery over an ormolu panelled frieze. The cabinet is fully glazed all round and is fitted with a door on each side, and they enclose two glass and one velvet lined shelf. The lower sections of the cabinet are all with fitted with decorative Vernis Martin panels depicting courting couples in gardens and the cabinet is raised on ormolu mounted toupie feet. Complete with working locks and key. Add an elegant touch to your home with this lovely free standing cabinet. Condition: In really excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 145 x width 73 x depth 53 Dimensions in inches: Height 4 foot, 9 inches x Width 2 foot, 5 inches x Depth 1 foot, 9 inches Vernis Martin is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans, snuffboxes and clocks. The process of adding bronze or gold powder to green varnish was perfected by the French brothers Guillaume and Etienne-Simon Martin, hence its name “Vernis Martin”, as Vernis is French for varnish. It is said to have been made by heating oil, copal and amber and then adding Venetian turpentine and the Martin brothers perfected the process with inclusions in the varnish, sprinkling spangles of silver plated copper wire into the wet varnish ground. Highly praised by Voltaire, it was developed to imitate East Asian lacquerware which was being imported into France during the Louis XV period. Vernis Martin was made in several colours, green, black and a golden red being the most characteristic. 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: 57.09 in (145 cm)Width: 28.75 in (73 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)
  • Style:
    Louis XV (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1880
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: A31741stDibs: LU950633637222
More From This SellerView All
  • Antique French Vernis Martin Vitrine Display Cabinet 19th C
    By Vernis Martin
    Located in London, GB
    This is a stunning antique French wood and Vernis Martin vitrine cabinet, in the Louis XV manner, Circa 1880 in date, with exquisite hand painted decoration and exquisite ormolu moun...
    Category

    Antique 1880s French Louis XV Cabinets

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • Antique French Vernis Martin Vitrine Display Cabinet 19th C
    Located in London, GB
    This is a stunning antique French louis XV Revival Vernis Martin display cabinet, circa 1880 in date. The cabinet feature a shaped top with impressive ornate ormolu mounts, the body is serpentine shaped with a glazed ormolu mounted door that features a fantastic Vernis Martin hand painted panel of a courting couple, with the two side panels depicting country scenes. The interior is lined with the rich original pink fabric which beautifully complements the cabinet. Complete with original working lock and key. It is very rare to find such an exquisite cabinet and it is sure to attract a lot of attention from your guests. Condition: In really excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 170 x Width 85 x Depth 43 Dimensions in inches: Height 5 foot, 7 inches x Width 2 foot, 9 inches x Depth 1 foot, 5 inches Vernis Martin is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans...
    Category

    Antique 1880s French Cabinets

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • Antique French Vernis Martin Display Cabinet, 19th Century
    Located in London, GB
    This is a fabulous antique French Louis Revival Vernis Martin ormolu mounted display cabinet, circa 1880 in date. This beautiful cabinet has hand painted decoration, exquisite ormolu mounts and a beautiful marble top. The central panel has a beautiful painting depicting a courting couple in a boat and the two side panels have paintings of country scenes. The cabinet has serpentine glass to the sides with a capacious cupboard in the bottom. Complete with working lock and original key. The quality and attention to detail throughout is second to none. Add a touch of unparalleled style to your home. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 160 x width 88 x depth 34 Dimensions in inches: Height 5 foot, 3 inches x width 2 foot, 11 inches x depth 1 foot, 1 inch Vernis Martin is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans...
    Category

    Antique 1880s French Cabinets

    Materials

    Marble, Ormolu

  • Antique French Louis Revival Vernis Martin Display Cabinet 19th Century
    Located in London, GB
    A stunning antique French wood and Vernis Martin bowfront vitrine in the Louis XV manner, circa 1880 in date. It has three quarter glazed bow panelled doors with exquisite hand painted decoration and exquisite ormolu mounts. There are four beautiful panels which have been hand painted and signed by Paoli, a top French 19th century artist, the two central panels with romantic courting couples and the outer two with country scenes. This beautiful cabinet encloses two glass shelves, has a capacious cupboard in the bottom and the interior has been beautifully relined in lemon silk ready to display your collection. This magnificent piece is in excellent condition and the quality and attention to detail throughout is second to none. Add a touch of unparalleled style to your home. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished, waxed and the interior relined in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 168 x Width 166 x Depth 41 Dimensions in inches: Height 5 foot, 6 inches x Width 5 foot, 5 inches x Depth 1 foot, 4 inches Vernis Martin is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans...
    Category

    Antique 1880s French Louis XV Cabinets

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • Antique Large Vernis Martin Bombe' Display Cabinet, 19th C
    Located in London, GB
    A stunning large antique French wood Vernis Martin five panel display cabinet in the Louis XV manner and of extravagantly shaped Bombe form, circa 1870 in date, with exquisite hand painted decoration and exquisite ormolu mounts. It has five decorative Vernis Martin panels with beautiful hand painted decoration, the central panel depicting a courting couple and the others with classical figures in pastoral country scenes. The central panel bears the artists signature, Le Brun. The large central clear serpentine glazed door opening to a large capacious cupboard below, flanked by clear glazed serpentine panels, with further shaped glass on the sides. It is smothered in gorgeous gilded ormolu mounts, the shaped apron with foliate mounts and sabots, standing on cabriole legs. The mirror backed interior is fitted with glass shelves, the lower shelf lined with golden velvet, to display your collection of china or silver beautifully. This magnificent piece is in excellent condition and the quality and attention to detail throughout is second to none. Add a touch of unparalleled style to your home. Condition: In really excellent original condition having only been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: height 193 x width 115 x depth 50 Dimensions in inches: height 6 foot, 4 inches x width 3 foot, 9 inches x depth 1 foot, 8 inches Vernis Martin is a lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal articles as brisé fans...
    Category

    Antique 1870s French Louis XV Cabinets

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • 19th Century French Vernis Martin Vitrine Display Cabinet
    Located in London, GB
    This is a superb antique French Vernis Martin mahogany vitrine, in the Louis XV manner, circa 1880 in date, with exquisite hand-painted decoration and exquisite ormolu mounts. The t...
    Category

    Antique 1880s French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Ormolu

You May Also Like
  • 19th Century French Ormolu-Mounted 'Vernis Martin' Vitrine
    Located in Los Angeles, CA
    A stunning and unusual French 19th century Louis XV Style gilt bronze-mounted and "Vernis Martin" style bombé tulipwood veneered vitrine cabinet. The serpentine front door vitrine wi...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Vitrines

    Materials

    Tulipwood

  • Fine Quality Late 19th Century Vernis Martin Vitrine
    By François Linke
    Located in New York, NY
    A fine quality late 19th century Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted two-door Vernis Martin Vitrine Surmounted by a marble top above a frieze with scrolling foliage, above two glas...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Marble, Bronze

  • Fine French Belle Epoque 19th Century Vernis Martin Vitrine by Louis Majorelle
    By Louis Majorelle
    Located in Los Angeles, CA
    A very fine French Belle Époque 19th century tulipwood and gilt bronze-mounted Vernis Martin decorated Vitrine by Louis Majorelle (French, 1859-1926). The single door case with a hand-painted board depicting a garden courting scene surmounted with ormolu wreaths and a banded frame. The top with a pierced gilt bronze gallery above an ormolu royal tassel trim flanked by a pair of female masks above crossed torches and flames, cross flutes, a tambourine, a pan flute, ribbons and a tassel. Raised of four cabriolet legs with corner ormolu wreaths and leaves ending with hooves, Paris, circa 1990. The back bears the original Majorelle label that reads: "Louis Majorelle, Fabrique a Nancy, 3 Rue Girardel. Depot. 56 Rue de Paradis, Paris." Louis-Jean-Sylvestre Majorelle, usually known simply as Louis Majorelle, (26 September 1859 – 15 January 1926) was a French decorator and furniture designer who manufactured his own designs, in the French tradition of the ébéniste. He was one of the outstanding designers of furniture in the Art Nouveau style, and after 1901 formally served as one of the vice-presidents of the École de Nancy. The Majorelle firm's factory was designed by famous École de Nancy architect Lucien Weissenburger (1860 – 1929) and located at 6, rue du Vieil-Aître in the western part of Nancy. In the 1880s Majorelle turned out pastiches of Louis XV furniture styles...
    Category

    Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Ormolu, Bronze

  • French 19th Century Vernis Martin Cabinet with Ormolu Mounts
    Located in London, GB
    A Vernis Martin cabinet in the Louis XVI manner Constructed in mahogany, with extensive ormolu mounts; the square rectangular tapering legs, d...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Cabinets

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • French 19th Century Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted and Vernis Martin Vitrine
    By Vernis Martin
    Located in Los Angeles, CA
    A fine French 19th century Louis XV Style gilt bronze-mounted and "Vernis Martin" style bombé tulipwood veneered vitrine cabinet with a Breche d' Alep marble top. The serpentine fron...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Marble, Bronze

  • Vernis Martin Display Cabinet French Vitrine Painted
    Located in Potters Bar, GB
    Gorgeous antique French Empire display cabinet or bijouterie We date this wonderful antique to circa 1910 Lovely shape and interplay be...
    Category

    20th Century Cabinets

    Materials

    Other

Recently Viewed

View All