French Ormolu Inkwell & Stand with Cloisonné Decoration
Good vintage French ormolu ink well & stand, cloisonne decoration to central inkwell, on cloisonne decorated marble, dual handled stand, diameter 15.75 in. total stand
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- 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.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- ink wells / ink stands, French - French 120
- ink wells / ink stands, material
