Antique French Kingwood Parquetry Ormolu Bureau Plat Desk 19th C

A superb antique 19th century French kingwood, parquetry and ormolu mounted bureau plat, Circa 1860 in date.

The rectangular shaped top with a decorative ormolu border and fitted with a striking gold tooled black leather inset writing surface. The decorative frieze with parquetry inlay, three oak lined drawers on the front and dummy drawers on the back.

It is raised on decorative scrolled and moulded legs with gilt bronze ormolu mounts.

Complete with working locks and keys.

This is a truly fabulous quality piece which is sure to get noticed wherever it is placed.

Condition:

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

Dimensions in cm:

Height 74 x Width 116 x Depth 72

Dimensions in inches:

Height 29.1 x Width 45.7 x Depth 28.3

Kingwood

is a classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar colour to sapwood.

The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. it turns well but due to its density and hardness can be difficult to work with hand tools. It also has a tendency to blunt the tools due to its abrasive properties.

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.

After around 1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury other techniques were used instead. Electroplating is the most common modern technique. Ormolu techniques are essentially the same as those used on silver, to produce silver-gilt.

Parquetry - is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquetry patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges.

The word derives from the Old French parchet , literally meaning "a small enclosed space". Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684 as parquet de menuiserie to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.

Such parquets en lozange were noted by the Swedish architect Daniel Cronström at Versailles and at the Grand Trianon in 1693. Timber contrasting in color and grain, such as oak, walnut, cherry, lime, pine, maple etc. are sometimes employed; and in the more expensive kinds the richly coloured mahogany and sometimes other tropical hardwoods are also used.

Our reference: A1450