Gilded Samson Armorial Lamp Base with Brass Mounts
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.
- 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. - Armorial / Armourial - Bearing a coat of arms. Coats of arms came into general use by feudal lords and knights in in the 12th century, and by the 13th century, arms had spread beyond their initial battlefield use to become a flag or emblem for families in the higher social classes of Europe. They were inherited from one generation to the next. When a family crest is used on individual items of silver or furniture it is an indicator of the aristocratic standing of the family represented.
Armorials were also used to decorate mass produced ceramic souvenir ware by such companies as Goss, Carlton & Shelley, and in these cases the coats of arms displayed were of boroughs and cities.
Visually similar items
The 1970 Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, Wilson Cup, won by Evonne Goolagong (Cawley) as a member of the New South Wales team, the silverplate shallow circular two handled cup moulded to the rim with grapes and vines, inscribed 'Ltaa, Wilson Cup 1970
A William IV silver mounted crystal oil jug, round spreading foot, the body with faceted panels, the silver collar, handle and spout silver with restrained reeded decoration, stopper absent. London 1830 by William Brown. Height 10 cm
A George V sterling silver raised cup, double handles, Robert Pringle & Sons, London 1919. Weight 102g. Height 8 cm, diameter 7.5 (with edges), (dents).
The 1969 Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, Wilson Cup, won by Evonne Goolagong (Cawley) as a member of the New South Wales team, the silverplate shallow circular two handled cup moulded to the rim with grapes and vines, inscribed 'Ltaa, Wilson Cup 1969