Ormolu (/ˈɔːrməˌluː/; from French ormoulu 'ground/pounded gold') is thegilding technique of applying finely ground, high-caratgold–mercuryamalgam to an object ofbronze, and objects finished in this way. The mercury is driven off in akiln, leaving behind a gold coating. The French refer to this technique asbronze doré; in English, it is known asgilt bronze. Around 1830, legislation in France outlawed the use of mercury for health reasons, though use continued to the 1900s.[citation needed]
The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding orfire-gilding, in which a solution ofmercuric nitrate is applied to a piece ofcopper,brass, or bronze, followed by the application of anamalgam of gold and mercury. The item is then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury vaporizes and the gold remains, adhering to the metal object.
This process has generally been supplanted by theelectroplating of gold over anickel substrate, which is more economical and less dangerous.
In literature there is a 1612 reference fromJohn Webster:
Hang him; a gilder that hath his brains perished with quicksilver is not more cold in the liver
After around 1830, legislation in France had outlawed the use of mercury, although it continued to be commonly employed until around 1900 and was still in use around 1960 in very few workshops. Other gilding techniques, like electroplating from the mid-19th century on, were utilized.[1][better source needed] Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used onsilver, to producesilver-gilt (also known asvermeil).
A later substitute of a mixture of metals resembling ormolu was developed in France and calledpomponne, though the mix of copper andzinc, sometimes with an addition oftin, is technically a type of brass. From the 19th century the term has been popularized to refer to gilt metal or imitation gold.[2]
Gilt-bronze is found fromantiquity onwards across Eurasia, and especially inChinese art, where it was always more common than silver-gilt, the opposite of Europe.
Craftsmen principally used ormolu for the decorative mountings of furniture, clocks, lighting devices, and porcelain. The great French furniture designers andcabinetmakers, orébénistes, of the 18th and 19th centuries made maximum use of the exquisite gilt-bronze mounts produced byfondeurs-ciseleurs (founders and finishers) such as the renownedJacques Caffieri (1678–1755), whose finished gilt-bronze pieces were almost as fine as jewelers' work. Ormolu mountings attained their highest artistic and technical development in France.[citation needed]
Similarly fine results could be achieved for lighting devices, such as chandeliers and candelabras, as well as for the ornamental metal mounts applied to clock cases and to ceramic pieces. In the hands of the Parisianmarchands-merciers, the precursors of decorators, ormolu or gilt-bronze sculptures were used for bright, non-oxidizing fireplace accessories or for Rococo or Neoclassical mantel-clocks or wall-mounted clock-cases – a specialty ofCharles Cressent (1685–1768) – complemented by rock-crystal drops on gilt-bronze chandeliers and wall-lights.
The bronze mounts were cast bylost wax casting, and then chiseled andchased to add detail.Rococo gilt bronze tends to be finely cast, lightly chiseled, and part-burnished.Neoclassical gilt-bronze is often entirely chiseled and chased with extraordinary skill and delicacy to create finely varied surfaces.
The ormolu technique was extensively used in theFrench Empire mantel clocks, reaching its peak during this period.[3]
Chinese and European porcelains mounted in gilt-bronze were luxury wares that heightened the impact of often-costly and ornamental ceramic pieces sometimes used for display. Chinese ceramics with gilt-bronze mounts were produced under the guidance of the Parisianmarchands-merciers, for only they had access to the ceramics (often purchased in the Netherlands) and the ability to overleap theguild restrictions.[citation needed] A few surviving pieces of 16th-century Chinese porcelain subsequently mounted in contemporary European silver-gilt, orvermeil, show where the foundations of the later fashion lay.
From the late 1760s,Matthew Boulton (1728–1809) of Birmingham produced English ormolu vases and perfume-burners in the latest Neoclassical style. Though the venture never became a financial success, it produced the finest English ormolu. In the early 19th century fine English ormolu came from the workshops ofBenjamin Lewis Vulliamy (1780–1854).
In France, the tradition of neoclassic ormolu toPierre-Philippe Thomire (1751–1843) was continued byLucien-François Feuchère. Beurdeley & Cie. produced excellent ormolu in Rococo and Neoclassical styles in Paris, and rococo gilt-bronze is characteristic of the furniture ofFrançois Linke.
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![Architectural centrepiece; by Denis René Gastecloux; 1768; gilt-bronze; 30.5 x 43.5 x 24.5 cm; Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, USA)[4]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDenis_ren%25C3%25A9_gastecloux%2c_centrotavola_in_bronzo_dorato%2c_londra_1768.jpg)
![Louis XVI corner cabinet; by Jean Henri Riesener; 1780–1790; oak, mahogany, marble, and gilt-bronze mounts; 94.3 × 81.3 × 55.9 cm; Art Institute of Chicago (US)[5]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJean-henri_riesener%2c_angoliera%2c_1785_ca.jpg)
