French Ormolu Chandelier with Floral Motifs
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A highly decorative 18th/19th century French ormolu chandelier, sixteen scrolling light branches in the form of leaves, the candle sconces as the flowers, conforming leaves and flowers entwine the central column. 90 x 120 cm. Reputedly from the historic Chateau de Chambray in Normandy, before it's gifting to the French state in 1940.
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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.
- Sconce - A light attached to a wall. Originally a candle holder that is attached to a wall with an ornamental bracket and sometimes with a reflective back plate, but now applied to an electric light that has been inspired by that design.
In recent times the word has also come into use to desribe the candle holders on a candelabra.
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