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Hello John:
Apart from felt pads for the stand, you could also use Museum putty to secure the figure on the stand. That is also available at Amazon.com. Of course, none of these will work if the figure is in a location where it can be accidentally knocked by someone. It would still tip over.
I was interested to see that you like Ormolu. I have a couple of marble vases from the Louis Philippe period (see photographs) in which the Ormolu has become discolored and darkened over the years. I see that conventional brass cleaners should not be used on Ormolu. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has the following recommendations for discolored Ormolu:
"Cleaning gold and ormolu should be limited to gently dusting with a soft brush. If the surface is discoloured, use a swab moistened with methylated spirit and rub gently. If this doesn't work, try a swab moistened with spit, followed by a swab moistened with distilled water."
I have found that simple household cleaners don't work for this, but have not tried methylated spirit. Do you have any suggestions for removing the tarnish that does not involve taking these very heavy marble vases to a metal specialist? Incidentally, the photographs below were taken several years ago when the Ormolu mounts still had a bright appearance. Now they are a dull color.
Regards,
Errol
Hi Errol,
Your ormolu-mounted marble vases are stunning. Unfortunately, I have no experience in caring for ormolu. I did see this article, but the materials seem out of reach to me: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/autumn-2014-issue-62/a-methodology-for-the-conservation-of-furniture-mounts/
In addition, there's a video that talks about the conservation of cabinets in the Royal Collection, and they go over the decision-making process in choosing how to conserve the ormolu mounts a bit. Although it doesn't go in-depth or show it, I found it interesting that he used a scalpel and microscope to scrape off corrosion: https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/2019/04/11/restoring-and-conserving-the-royal-collection-cabinets/
I wish I could be more helpful, but thank you for sharing your vases. They're spectacular!
Kindly,
John
Hello John:
Thanks for the information. I think the V & A technique is well beyond any home do it yourself project. Obviously, they are dealing with priceless and irreplaceable pieces of French and English furniture and must be exceedingly cautious.
I am delighted that you like my pair of urns. I got them at an auction on eBay several years ago for $656 and I thought that was a reasonable price. They are extremely heavy. I have studied their history a little and they are usually described as "Pair of Mid-19th Century Louis XVI St. Marble and Ormolu Mounted Cassolettes" but the "St." indicates that they come from the later reign of the Orleans monarch, Louis Philippe, who was the last French king (1830-1848 reign). I am attaching a photograph (see below) of a similar pair available for $16,000 on 1st Dibs. if you have the money to spare, they will be delighted to sell them to you! As you can see, the urns should have lids and mine lost theirs between the 1830s and when I bought them. The ones in the photograph below also have ormolu mounts looking like new although some people prefer the more subdued tarnished patina. Their argument is that antiques should look old and I have some sympathy for that point of view. I might try a little Weiman brass cleaner in an area that is not visible to see if that cleans the mounts somewhat because I think they are probably mainly brass and have lost their gilt surface years ago. If that does not work I am just going to let them be.
In the informative link that you sent me from the V & A museum they state regarding ormolu decoration that "X-ray fluorescence (XRF) indicates that, in general, the alloy composition of the mounts varies, but is primarily made from an alloy of copper and zinc i.e. brass. The analysis also revealed that mounts thought to have been gilded in fact had no trace of gold."
Kind regards,
Errol
Hi @Erroll,
I think your eBay purchase was a bargain for the quality. It's almost exactly what I paid for my jade figure. What size are they? At any rate, I'll be adding that to my saved eBay searches. I appreciate you showing me them! I've mostly been collecting narrowly since I just started about six months ago and haven't explored European wares as much. My lack of experience is also likely what makes me weary in trying to restore my pieces. I was even afraid to put water near my porcelain for a while!
Kindly,
John
Hi John:
They are 13 inches high by 5 inches at their widest part (the foot). I am attaching photographs of other similar pairs from 1st Dibs.
Regards,
Errol
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