Empire-Style Gilt Ormolu Wall-Light with Mask
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An Empire-Style gilt ormolu Two-Branch Wall-Light with mask, late 19th century, the gilt ormolu two-branch wall-light with central mask with horns, the back plate supporting scrolled branches with arrow pattern sconces, electrified, length 33 cm, width 23 cm, depth 15 cm
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- Sconce - A light attached to a wall. Originally a candle holder that is attached to a wall with an ornamental bracket and sometimes with a reflective back plate, but now applied to an electric light that has been inspired by that design.
In recent times the word has also come into use to desribe the candle holders on a candelabra. - 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.
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