Victorian walnut pier cabinet with ormolu mounts and single…

 

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.

mounts. The cast-metal fittings in brass or ormolu (a form of gilded bronze) used on much of the quality furniture in the rococo and classical revival style

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