Antique Louis XV Kingwood Writing Table Bureau Plat, circa 1880

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Antique Louis XV Kingwood Writing Table Bureau Plat, circa 1880

About the Item

A 19th century Louis XV style kingwood Bureau Plat with brass edging to the shaped top, fitted three drawers on cabriole supports with ormolu mounts having scallop motifs and paw feet, 4ft 3in x 2ft 2in This is a gorgeous antique French ormolu mounted kingwood bureau plat or writing table circa 1880 in date. It has a fabulous quality gold tooled burgundy leather writing surface and to highlight this - the shaped desktop is beautifully bordered with ormolu. It has three capacious oak lined drawers, all with fabulous decorative ormolu handles, working locks with original keys. It is freestanding and is finished on all sides so that it can stand freely in the centre of a room and it is raised on elegant cabriole legs with ormolu mounts having scallop motifs and paw feet. This is a truly lovely piece which is sure to get noticed wherever it is placed. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 75 x width 130 x depth 68. Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 5 inches x width 4 feet, 3 inches x depth 2 feet, 3 inches. Kingwood is a classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar color to sapwood. The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. It turns well but due to its density and hardness can be difficult to work with hand tools. It also has a tendency to blunt the tools due to its abrasive properties. 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-colored 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 circa 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 color. 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: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 51.19 in (130 cm)Depth: 26.78 in (68 cm)
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1880
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 072271stDibs: LU95065063333