Antique Rococo Revival Ormolu & Onyx Telescopic Standard Lamp Circa 1900

This is a truly superb antique onyx and ormolu Rococo Revival telescopic standard lamp, circa 1900 in date.

This exceptional lamp features with three light fittings on a profusely decorated stem adorned with rococo style swags and climbing foliage, issuing from an ormolu framed onyx table, on a pierced tripod base.

The craftsmanship is second to none throughout all aspects of this piece and it is sure to add an unparalleled touch of class to your home.

Provenance:

Corby Castle, Carlisle, England

Lord and Lady Ballyedmond

Condition:

In excellent working condition having been beautifully cleaned and tested in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 214 cm x Width 56 cm x Depth 56 cm  - Tallest heightHeight 153 cm x Width 56 cm x Depth 56 cm  - Lowest height

Dimensions in inches:

Height 7 foot x Width 1 foot, 10 inches x Depth 1 foot, 10 inches - Tallest heightHeight 5 foot x Width 1 foot, 10 inches x Depth 1 foot, 10 inches - Lowest height

Corby Castle

One of Cumbria’s most historically important mansion houses, grade I-listed Corby Castle sits on a plateau, rising above the picturesque River Eden to the east of Carlisle. The Manor of Corby was granted to Hubert de Vallibus by Henry II and passed to Andrew de Harcia, Earl of Carlisle before being given to Richard Salkeld in 1336. The estate remained in the hands of the Salkeld family until it was sold in 1611 to Lord William Howard, the third son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. The house is built around a red sandstone peel tower, or fortified tower house, built in the 13th century; William Howard added a two-storied L-shaped house to the peel tower, and the house was once again modified in the early 19th century by descendant Henry Howard. Between 1812 and 1814, Scottish architect Peter Nicholson gave the castle a new rectangular plan and the harmonious neo-classical façade in the distinctive local red sandstone that graces the building today. Corby Castle remained in the Howard family until 1994, when Lord and Lady Ballyedmond, as new owners, began an inspired revival of Corby, giving new life to one of the great Cumbrian mansions.

Ormolu - (from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'.

The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object.

No true ormolu was produced in France after around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury. Therefore, other techniques were used instead but nothing surpasses the original mercury-firing ormolu method for sheer beauty and richness of colour. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt (also known as vermeil).

Onyx is a gemstone whose description can have several connotations. Its most accepted gemstone definition describes a solid black Chalcedony or a banded or layered black and white Chalcedony. The term Onyx is occasionally used to described any engraved stone with a solid color base, or it may describe any banded gemstone with parallel banding. In its solid black form, Onyx is the most traditional black gemstone.

Onyx is an ancient gemstone, having been used in jewelry and as an ornamental gemstone for carvings since antiquity. Onyx has traditionally been one of the most important engravi