19th Century French Empire White Marble & Ormolu Occasional Table

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19th Century French Empire White Marble & Ormolu Occasional Table

About the Item

This is a beautiful antique French Empire circular centre table with ornate ormolu decoration typical of the Empire period and a beautiful inset white "Marmo di Carrara" marble top, dating from, circa 1830. It is masterfully crafted in a deep rich mahogany with intricate ormolu decoration and standing on bun feet. The inset marble top has a decorative pierced brass gallery around it which is the finishing touch to this beautiful table. There is no mistaking the unique quality and elaborate design, which is certain to make it a talking point in your home and a fine embellishment to your reception room. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 80 x width 56 x depth 56. Dimensions in inches: Height 2 feet, 7 inches x width 1 foot, 10 inches x depth 1 foot, 10 inches. Empire style, is an early 19th century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until, circa 1830. The style originated in and takes its name from the rule of Napoleon I in the First French Empire, where it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state. The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States and to the Regency style in Britain. The previous style was called Louis XVI style, in France. The Empire style was based on aspects of the Roman Empire. It is the second phase of neoclassicism which is also called "Directoire," after a goverment system. Furniture typically had symbols and ornaments borrowed from the glorious ancient Greek and Roman empires. The furniture was made from heavy woods such as mahogany and ebony, imported from the colonies, with dark finishes often with decorative bronze mounts. Marble tops were popular as were Egyptian motifs like sphinxes, griffins, urns and eagles and the Napoleonic symbols, the eagle, the bee, the initials "I" and a large "N." Gilded bronze (ormolu) details displayed a high level of craftsmanship. Thomas Sheraton 18th century furniture designer, once characterized mahogany as "best suited to furniture where strength is demanded as well as a wood that works up easily, has a beautiful figure and polishes so well that it is an ornament to any room in which it may be placed." Matching his words to his work, Sheraton designed much mahogany furniture. 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 after around 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). Carrara marble is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It is quarried at the city of Carrara in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany, Italy). Carrara marble has been used since the time of Ancient Rome, the Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Rome are constructed of it. Many sculptures of the Renaissance, such as Michelangelo's David, were carved from Carrara marble. For Michelangelo at least, Carrara marble was valued above all other stone, except perhaps that of his own quarry in Pietrasanta. The Marble Arch in London and the Duomo di Siena are also made from this stone, as are the interiors of Manila Cathedral, the cold-white marbles of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the campus of Harvard Medical School.

Dimensions:
Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 22.05 in (56 cm)
Style:
Empire (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Mahogany,Marble,Ormolu
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1830-1839
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1830
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 071141stDibs: LU95064723803