French Art Nouveau Drinks Trolley with Marquetry Inlay

• Art Nouveau Period - The Art Nouveau period was a cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th century, and was characterized by its emphasis on natural forms, flowing lines, and a decorative, ornamental style. Art Nouveau was a reaction against the ornate and heavily stylized designs of the previous era, and sought to create a new, more organic aesthetic.
  
  Art Nouveau was characterized by its use of sinuous, curving lines, as well as a focus on natural elements such as flowers, vines, and other organic shapes. Art Nouveau designers sought to create a total work of art, in which every element of a building or object was designed to be harmonious with the overall design.
  
  Some of the most iconic examples of Art Nouveau design include the Paris Metro entrances designed by Hector Guimard, the works of the artist Alphonse Mucha, and the architecture of Victor Horta in Brussels.
  
  The Art Nouveau period was at its peak between 1890 and 1910, but began to decline in popularity by the start of World War I. However, Art Nouveau remains an important influence on design and art to this day, and continues to be celebrated for its emphasis on natural forms and decorative style.
• 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.
• Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
• Attributed - A cataloguing term where the item in the opinion of the cataloguers, is a of the period of the artist, craftsman or designer, and which probably in whole or part is the work of that person.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Art Nouveau - glass objects 165
• Galle, Emile - glass makers 162