19th Century French Onyx Vase with Ormolu Mounts
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A French ormolu mounted onyx vase, second half 19th century, the baluster shaped vase and square base in richly figured onyx mounted with ormolu rim, handles, socle, and foot cast with Renaissance revival motifs, 77 cm high
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- Onyx - Onyx is a form of agate, used from antiquity and popular again in the 1920s and 30s. European onyx is generally green, but can be many other colours, and can contain bands of black and/or white.
This multicoloured stone is widely used for table tops, lamp bases and in jewellery. Some types of onyx are also used for cameos of which the upper white layer is cut away to reveal the colour beneath. - 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.
- Socle - The short plinth, usually cylindrical, that serves as a pedestal for a sculpture or vase
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