French Vernis Martin Giltwood Vitrine
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- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture. - Giltwood - Giltwood is used to describe a gold finish on furniture and other decorative wooden items, whereby a thin sheet of gold metal, called gold leaf, is applied to the surface for decorative purposes.
Unlike gilding, where the gold leaf is applied over a coating of gesso, with giltwood the gold leaf is applied direct to the surface, or over a coat of linseed oil gold leaf adhesive.
Most gold-finished mirrors will be gilded, whereas furniture with gold highlights will have the gold applied through the giltwood method. - Vernis Martin - A generic name for a type of lacquer finish applied to furniture and a multitude of small articles, giving a brilliant translucent finish, imitating the Chinese and Japanese lacquer finishes on furniture imported into France during the Louis XV period..
Usually the surface to which the lacquer is applied was embellished with painted decoration of a classical scene.
The name is derived from the inventors, Simon-Etienne Martin and his two brothers, a distinguished family of French artist-artificers of the 18th century, who refined and perfected the technique, and were granted a monopoly in its manufacture in 1730. - Gallery - On furniture, a gallery is a small upright section, frequently pierced and decorated, around the tops of small items of furniture, such as davenports, side tables, and so forth. Galleries are made in brass or bronze,and be fretted, pierced or solid timber. A three-quarter gallery is one that surrounds three of the four sides of a table, desk or other top.
- Panels - Timber pieces, usually of well-figured wood either recessed or applied over the frames of doors and as decoration elsewhere in the carcase of cabinet furniture. The panels may take a variety of shapes rectangular, square, shield shape, oval, half-round or in the form of Egyptian pylons.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- display cabinets, origin - French 406
- display cabinets, period, age or style
- furniture, material or decoration - Vernis Martin decoration 43
- vitrines - (upright display cabinet) 297
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