Victorian Serpentine Burr Walnut Marquetry Credenza 19th C
London, United Kingdom
£6,250 per item
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Item details
Height
105.0 cm
Width
212.0 cm
Depth
46.0 cm
Wear conditions
Excellent
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
This is an exceptional quality antique Victorian ormolu mounted burr walnut and marquetry inlaid serpentine credenza, circa 1870 in date.
The entire piece highlights the unique and truly exceptional pattern of the book matched burr walnut veneers, and it has been enriched by the beautiful boxwood line inlay, decorative crossbanding and marquetry inlaid decoration.
The credenza is of serpentine form and has a panelled door in the centre which is decorated with beautiful inlaid marquetry decoration. The central door opens to reveal a shelf and plenty of storage space for drinks, glasses, crockery, etc.
The end doors are serpentine and glazed, each encloses a central shelf perfect for displaying your ornaments.
Its attention to detail and lavish decoration are certain to draw the eye wherever you choose to place it in your home.
Complete with working locks and key.
Condition:
In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned, polished and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 105 x Width 212 x Depth 46
Dimensions in inches:
Height 3 foot, 5 inches x Width 6 foot, 11 inches x Depth 1 foot, 6 inches
'Burr Walnut' refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produce some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.
Marquetry
is decorative artistry where pieces of material of different colours are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers.
The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as pietra dura, for the "hardstones" used: onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique.
Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-seventeenth century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs.
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).
Cancellations
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Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free UK Mainland delivery.
Estimated delivery time
Less than one week
Free collection available
Yes
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- Selling at Vinterior since 2016
- 302 sales
- Ships from London, United Kingdom
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Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
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