William IV Ormolu Argand Lamps with Dragon Base
A pair of William IV ormolu two light argand lamps, each with an ovoid urn-shaped reservoir above the foliate branches supporting frosted shades, on a scroll, rocaille and flower cast tripartite pedestal base surmounted by three dragons. (2), height 20.08 in. Provenance: W. F. Bradshaw Antiques, Woollahra, the Hon. Justice Don Stewart, from the contents of Swanton (built 1827), Sutton Forrest, NSW
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- Oviform /ovoid - The outline loosely resembling the shape of an egg.
- 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.
- William Iv - William IV was King of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837, and in English furniture design it represented the brief period between the end of the Regency period, and the beginning of the Victorian period.
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