Ormolu

Ormolu is a unique technique of finishing bronze objects with gilding. The French term or moulu literally means "ground gold." Since the 18th century, ormolu has been used to decorate clocks, candlesticks, furniture, statuettes, and vases. The gilding was achieved by rubbing the bronze with a gold amalgam, then the piece was fired to remove the mercury, leaving a brilliant gold surface.

This finish combines the luxury of gold with the sculptural expressiveness of bronze. Aesthetes of the 18th–19th centuries particularly valued the richness of ornamentation and the refined play of light and shadow in ormolu. French palaces and mansions were filled with objects in ormolu—even clocks shaped like towers or fantastic creatures! Today, items with this decoration are coveted antiques and symbols of an era of chic.