French ormolu mantel clock with gentleman figure and alabaster panels

A 19th century fancy French ormolu mantel clock, the bright…
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A 19th century fancy French ormolu mantel clock, the bright gilt ormolu cylindrical clock case flanked by a gentleman holding a rake, the elaborate base with white alabaster panels, raised on blue velvet and gilt base. The enamel dial with Roman numerals, the quality movement striking on a bell, height 36.5 cm. Under glass dome.

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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.
  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
  • Alabaster - Alabaster is soft natural stone used for statuary, with a similar appearance to marble, but easier to work with. As it is softer than marble, an item made from alabaster can be scratched with a metal object, and an alabaster item does not polish to a high surface gloss like marble.

    Alabaster objects can be semi-translucent. Alabaster occurs in a pure white form and also with veining from dirt. Colours vary from white through yellow and pink to brown. The veining is usually green or black but can be multicoloured.

    Being semi-translucent, alabaster is often used for the bowls of figural lamps, with the figure itself being either alabaster or marble.

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