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Antique French Empire Commode/ Chest Marble Top c.1820

$4,042.75List Price

About the Item

This stunning antique French Empire chest which was crafted from the most beautiful flame mahogany dates from circa 1820. The commode has three drawers in the frieze with three capacious full width drawers below. It has the most wonderful ormolu mounts, handles and escutcheons typical of the French Empire period and is surmounted by an elegant "Marmo Nero" black marble top. This exquisite marble top serves as the proverbial cherry to this masterpiece, accentuating the majestic aura surrounding this magnificent item. This delicious piece of craftsmanship could serve any purpose, from the focal point of an antiques collection to a remarkable addition to any room in your home. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 104 x Width 106 x Depth 55 Dimension s in inches: Height 40.9 x Width 41.7 x Depth 21.7 Flame Mahogany 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. The qualities that impressed Sheraton are particularly evident in a distinctive pattern of wood called "flame mahogany." The flame figure in the wood is revealed by slicing through the face of the branch at the point where it joins another element of the tree. 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).

Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1820-1829
Date of Manufacture:
c.1820
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU95061417582

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