What at first looked to be your ordinary French Crystal Chandelier that no one bothered to wire for lightbulbs, turned out to be something quite special. Our first hint was the hand-blown sphere at the bottom of the Antique French Chandelier, which was clearly an object fabricated by a French artisan. Next point of interest was the gold finish, which just looked a little too nice for your average French Crystal Chandelier. So, we took a magnetic to the frame and when it did not adhere to the surface of the French Chandelier, we knew it was solid bronze. What we have is a 19th century Bronze Chandelier with an Ormolu finish. In America we sometimes refer to this as, doré bronze, or gilt bronze, while the French use the term ormolu. The technique is no longer allowed and was outlawed in France around 1830, although some smaller shops continued the technique until around 1900. The actual technique involves applying finely ground, high-carat gold–mercury to an object of bronze. The mercury will vaporize in the kiln leaving behind a gold coating.
- Inventory:
- Available
- Shop By Era:
- 19th Century
- Age:
- 1860-1869
- Country of Manufacture:
- France