Antique Marble Topped Ormolu-Mounted Goncalo Alves Commode Chest, 19th Century

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Antique Marble Topped Ormolu-Mounted Goncalo Alves Commode Chest, 19th Century

About the Item

This is a lovely French antique ormolu-mounted Gonçalo Alves bow fronted commode, circa 1880 in date. The Gonçalo Alves is complimented with exquisite kingwood crossbanded decoration and striking ormolu mounts. The commode has four useful full width oak lined drawers, a striking "Marmo di Brescia" marble top, and is further decorated with fabulous ormolu handles and mounts. This delicious piece of craftsmanship could serve any purpose, from the focal point of an antiques collection to a remarkable addition to any room in your home. A truly gorgeous piece, this commode deserves pride of place in any furniture collection. Complete with the original working locks and keys. 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 100 x depth 47 Dimensions in inches: Height 40.6 x width 39.4 x depth 18.5 Gonçalo Alves is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme. While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster. Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary. In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture. Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it's probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That's because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it's used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for Fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents. 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. After circa 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury other techniques were used instead. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt.

Dimensions:
Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)Depth: 18.51 in (47 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Marble,Ormolu,Wood
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1880
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A16241stDibs: LU950622275782