French Kingwood Serpentine Secrétaire with Ormolu and Marble Top

A French kingwood secretaire chest 19th century serpentine in…
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A French kingwood secretaire chest 19th century serpentine in form, with a rose marble top, above a drop-down secretaire opening to a fitted interior of shelves and two drawers, above five drawers, the whole applied with ormolu 126 cm high, 64 cm wide, 35 cm deep

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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.
  • Serpentine - Resembling a serpent, in the form of an elongated 'S'. A serpentine front is similar to a bow front, except that the curve is shallow at each end, swelling towards the middle. The term presumably derives from its similarity to a moving snake or serpent. Serpentine fronts are usually veneered, with the carcase either being cut and shaped from a solid piece of timber, or built in the 'brick' method.

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