A French hand painted porcelain ormolu mounted urn, 19th century the whole finely cast with with an applied trophy to body flanked by two scroll handles above a four paw stem and a square pedestal base, 9.84 in. high, and 3.54 in. diameter
- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
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