19th Century Commemorative Medallions
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Two commemorative medallions, 19th century, including a spelter Louis XVIII commemorative portrait plaque, after F. Gayrard, inscribed 'Louis XVIII Roi de France Et de Navarre / Dedie a Mm. Les Gardes-Du Corps', signed Gayrard F. And Roman numeral date for 1814, together with a London international exhibition bronze medal, inscribed for J.W Osborne, Class XIV, 10.5 cm and 7.5 cm diameter.
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- Spelter - Spelter was the name given to an alloy of zinc and brass or copper used in the 19th century for statuary and lighting. It is a brittle bluish-white metal. It was used as a cheap replacement for bronze, but being brittle easily breaks and can't be repaired. When finished it can often be mistaken for bronze, but if discreet a scratch on the base displays shows a greyish colour, the metal is spelter, if a golden colour the metal is most likely bronze.
- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
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