Shibayama Plate: Birds, Flowers, and Filigree Border
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Filigree Work - Decorative Arts - Delicate decorations using fine threads of ceramics, glass or other materials to give a lace-like effect, attached together and applied as an ornament.
- Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.
For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.
Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A yellow sapphire and diamond cluster ring, the oval cut sapphire of 2.34cts, surrounded by sixteen round brilliant cut diamonds totalling 0.40cts, in 18ct white gold, ring size O
A fancy yellow diamond cluster ring, the centrally set fancy yellow diamond totalling 1.01cts surrounded by a row of white diamonds totalling 0.68cts, and a further row of sapphires totalling 0.63cts set in 18ct yellow and white gold, ring size N.
A Victorian gold filigree and carved horn brooch, the central oval panel of floral and foliate motif, the gold filigree mount with bird surmounts and supporting two tassle drops. Yellow gold. Weight 19.52 grams. Length with drop 64 mm. Width 57 mm
An antique Australian mother of pearl and gold brooch by Wendt, the curved mother of pearl panel centrally set with a gold flower and mounted in an elaborate gold frame with bloomed finish, in 15ct gold, signed J.M.W. Circa 1870