Chryselephantine, Coral, Rock Crystal, Tortoise Shell, Galuchat,Ivory, Mother-of-Pearl.

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Chryselephantine Coral Rock Crystal Tortoise Shell
Galuchat Ivory Mother-of-Pearl.

CHRYSELEPHANTINE is the term used to define the simultaneous use of gold and ivory in a statue. The technique was already used in ancient times in Asia Minor, Etruria and Egypt and became particularly popular in the Middle Ages. However it was in the Art Deco period that the technique really flourished when Démétré Chiparus returned it to fashion with sculptures of elegant or dancing women on geometrical marble plinths (decorative art placed on furniture or fireplaces).

CORAL is a hard, calcarious substance of animal origin. It is in fact a branch-like skeleton whose colour goes from white to dark red. It is found in the seas of the Middle and Far East. From ancient times it has been used not just for jewelry, glyptics, tabletterie techniques and decorative items but also as ornamentation on furniture where it is used on the facades of, in particular, cabinets.

ROCK CRISTAL is a natural element very like quartz that is extracted from veins in the Alps, Madagascar and Brazil. It can only be shaped with special grindstones and has a particularly high refractive index. It can be distinguished from artificial crystal by its tiny inclusions and by its unique spangle effect caused by the geological character of the terrain. It was used as decoration on medieval shrines and then to make columns and decorative obelisks appearing in relief on precious furniture. From the 17th century on, it became the favorite material for lighting. Its best imitation is lead crystal made with a compulsory 20% lead content. During the Renaissance in France there was already a real crystal industry (in Venicethe industry dates from the 12th century with imports it from the Orient going back to the 10th century. Famous French glassworks are the Atelier Royal de Saint-Germain, then Saint-Louis, followed by Baccarat (1820) and Daum in Nancy (1875).

It was in the reign of Louis XIV that Tortoise Shell was used most often for furnishings when the cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle created furniture plated with metal and tortoiseshell. The tortoiseshell was often coloured, either with dyed glues or by applying it to a coloured surface that showed through it. Its plasticity makes it easy to work. It is made supple by dipping it in boiling water and it is then placed in a press, cut and shaped. Tortoiseshell was very much in vogue during the reign of Louis XVI and above all Napoleon III, when Boulle's work was copied.

Art Nouveau "Basket bed" covered with white galuchat. Doc Sotheby's

GALUCHAT is the skin of various fish - small sharks, spotted dogfish and skate. Under Louis XV it was dyed and used to cover certain luxury objects. It returned to fashion in 1910 and between1925-50 when it was used by cabinetmakers like Clément Rousseau to cover entire pieces of furniture.

IVORY as an art form was already important in France in the 11th century. It became the specialty of the town of Dieppe where it was received directly from Africa and the Orient. In the 17th century it began to be used for exclusive marquetry. In France, the only form of ivory that is recognized as such comes from elephant tusks; other forms from the rhinoceros, walrus, hippopotamus, wild boar or narwhal are not considered as ivory.
Ivory has points in common with certain kinds of wood and is worked like them. The Carolingian period produced many religious pieces, however the height of ivory work was in Paris during the Gothic period when it was used to decorate cabinets - it was cut into fine plaques and then engraved. During the 18th century, ivory was at its peak - ivory "lace" and excessive sculptures recalled German Baroque. During the Art Deco period, ivory came back into fashion and was used for inlays, filets and knobs on furniture and also for chryselephantine statuettes where gold or silver plate is embellished with ivory.

MOTHER OF PEARL, an iridescent, calcarious product is secreted by oysters and other molluscs. The most prized have a coloured sheen. Hard yet breakable, mother of pearl has been worked in France by specialists since the 14th century. During the Renaissance, particularly in Germany, whole shells were set in engraved gold and silver frames, these were called "Nautiles" or "nacre montée" - mounted mother of pearl. Mother of pearl has also been used on furniture and caskets and was used by Boulle. Under Napoleon III it was the most popular precious material to be combined with various woods.

CHRYSELEPHANTINE is the term used to define the simultaneous use of gold and ivory in a statue. The technique was already used in ancient times in Asia Minor, Etruria and Egypt and became particularly popular in the Middle Ages. However it was in the Art Deco period that the technique really flourished when Démétré Chiparus returned it to fashion with sculptures of elegant or dancing women on geometrical marble plinths (decorative art placed on furniture or fireplaces).
CORAL is a hard, calcarious substance of animal origin. It is in fact a branch-like skeleton whose colour goes from white to dark red. It is found in the seas of the Middle and Far East. From ancient times it has been used not just for jewelry, glyptics, tabletterie techniques and decorative items but also as ornamentation on furniture where it is used on the facades of, in particular, cabinets.
ROCK CRISTAL is a natural element very like quartz that is extracted from veins in the Alps, Madagascar and Brazil. It can only be shaped with special grindstones and has a particularly high refractive index. It can be distinguished from artificial crystal by its tiny inclusions and by its unique spangle effect caused by the geological character of the terrain. It was used as decoration on medieval shrines and then to make columns and decorative obelisks appearing in relief on precious furniture. From the 17th century on, it became the favorite material for lighting. Its best imitation is lead crystal made with a compulsory 20% lead content. During the Renaissance in France there was already a real crystal industry (in Venicethe industry dates from the 12th century with imports it from the Orient going back to the 10th century. Famous French glassworks are the Atelier Royal de Saint-Germain, then Saint-Louis, followed by Baccarat (1820) and Daum in Nancy (1875).
It was in the reign of Louis XIV that Tortoise Shell was used most often for furnishings when the cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle created furniture plated with metal and tortoiseshell. The tortoiseshell was often coloured, either with dyed glues or by applying it to a coloured surface that showed through it. Its plasticity makes it easy to work. It is made supple by dipping it in boiling water and it is then placed in a press, cut and shaped. Tortoiseshell was very much in vogue during the reign of Louis XVI and above all Napoleon III, when Boulle's work was copied.
Art Nouveau "Basket bed" covered with white galuchat. Doc Sotheby's	GALUCHAT is the skin of various fish - small sharks, spotted dogfish and skate. Under Louis XV it was dyed and used to cover certain luxury objects. It returned to fashion in 1910 and between1925-50 when it was used by cabinetmakers like Clément Rousseau to cover entire pieces of furniture.
IVORY as an art form was already important in France in the 11th century. It became the specialty of the town of Dieppe where it was received directly from Africa and the Orient. In the 17th century it began to be used for exclusive marquetry. In France, the only form of ivory that is recognized as such comes from elephant tusks; other forms from the rhinoceros, walrus, hippopotamus, wild boar or narwhal are not considered as ivory. Ivory has points in common with certain kinds of wood and is worked like them. The Carolingian period produced many religious pieces, however the height of ivory work was in Paris during the Gothic period when it was used to decorate cabinets - it was cut into fine plaques and then engraved. During the 18th century, ivory was at its peak - ivory "lace" and excessive sculptures recalled German Baroque. During the Art Deco period, ivory came back into fashion and was used for inlays, filets and knobs on furniture and also for chryselephantine statuettes where gold or silver plate is embellished with ivory.
MOTHER OF PEARL, an iridescent, calcarious product is secreted by oysters and other molluscs. The most prized have a coloured sheen. Hard yet breakable, mother of pearl has been worked in France by specialists since the 14th century. During the Renaissance, particularly in Germany, whole shells were set in engraved gold and silver frames, these were called "Nautiles" or "nacre montée" - mounted mother of pearl. Mother of pearl has also been used on furniture and caskets and was used by Boulle. Under Napoleon III it was the most popular precious material to be combined with various woods.