Chinese Powder Blue Ormolu Vases, Late 19th Century
A pair of Chinese powder blue ormolu mounted vases, French, late 19th century of waisted form with foliate decoration to the foot and rim 6.69 in. high
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- Powder-Blue - Powder-blue, also known as "Jingdezhen blue" or "suffuse blue," is a captivating decorative technique used in Chinese ceramics from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Its name aptly reflects the application method, where finely ground cobalt oxide is dusted onto the ceramic surface, creating a soft, ethereal blue hue. The uneven dusting results in soft gradations of blue, with darker spots around contours and lighter areas on flat surfaces. The blue often appears translucent, allowing the underlying clay colour to subtly influence the final shade.
Powder-blue was primarily used on porcelain, particularly in high-end pieces produced in Jingdezhen, the famed porcelain capital of China, but its popularity declined in the latter part of the 19th century. - 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.
- Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
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