19th Century French Marquetry Card Games Table

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19th Century French Marquetry Card Games Table

About the Item

This is a magnificent antique French mahogany, kingwood, satinwood, marquetry and ormolu-mounted card table, circa 1870 in date. The craftsmanship and finish are second to none, and the table features exquisite inlaid marquetry of musical instruments with flowers and foliage and wonderful lattice parquetry decoration. The card table opens to reveal a beautiful green baize lined interior bordered by an inlaid crossbanded border which is perfect for playing cards. It is finished all round so it is freestanding and it is decorated with a plethora of exquisite ormolu mounts. It stands on elegant fluted tapering legs united by an H stretcher, that terminate in ormolu sabots and it has a very useful storage compartment for your cards, pens and paper. It is finished all round so it is freestanding and can be placed Add a touch of French elegance to your home with this unique piece. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 78 x width 90 x depth 91 - open. Height 78 x width 91 x depth 45 - closed. Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 7 inches x width 2 feet, 11 inches x depth 3 feet - open. Height 2 feet, 7 inches x width 3 feet x depth 1 foot, 6 inches - closed. 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 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 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). Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, mother-of-pearl, pewter, brass silver or shell) of different colours are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers. The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as Pietra Dura, for the "hardstones" used: onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The Craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-seventeenth century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing shell and brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs.

Dimensions:
Height: 30.71 in (78 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 35.83 in (91 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Kingwood,Mahogany,Ormolu,Satinwood,Marquetry
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1870
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 077101stDibs: LU95066494643