ormolu

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Related to ormolu: gilt

or·mo·lu

(ôr′mə-lo͞o′)

1. Any of several copper and zinc or tin alloys resembling gold in appearance and used to ornament furniture, moldings, architectural details, and jewelry.

2. An imitation of gold.

[French or moulu : or, gold (from Old French; see or³) + obsolete French molu, past participle of moudre, to grind up (from Old French, from Latin molere; see melə- in Indo-European roots).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ormolu

(ˈɔːməˌluː)

1. (Art Terms)

a. a gold-coloured alloy of copper, tin, or zinc used to decorate furniture, mouldings, etc

b. (as modifier): an ormolu clock.

2. (Art Terms) gold prepared to be used for gilding

[C18: from French or moulu ground gold]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

or•mo•lu

(ˈɔr məˌlu)

n.

1. an alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold.

2. gilded metal, esp. cast brass or bronze gilded over fire with an amalgam of gold and mercury, used for furniture mounts and ornamental objects.

[1755–65; < French or moulu literally, ground gold]

ormolu

Gilded bronze used to decorate furniture.

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Noun

ormolu - brass that looks like gold; used to decorate furniture

brass - an alloy of copper and zinc

Translations

ormolu

[ˈɔːməʊluː] N → similor m, bronce m dorado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ormolu

n (= alloy) → Messing nt; (= decoration) → Messingverzierungen pl; (= mountings) → Messingbeschläge pl

adj → aus Messing

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

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References in classic literature ?

Even personal experience of these facts was not always a protection from the chill that descended on one in the high-ceilinged white-walled Madison Avenue drawing-room, with the pale brocaded armchairs so obviously uncovered for the occasion, and the gauze still veiling the ormolu mantel ornaments and the beautiful old carved frame of Gainsborough's "Lady Angelica du Lac."

There was a silence during which the tick of the monumental ormolu clock on the white marble mantelpiece grew as loud as the boom of a minute-gun.

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He was rather sorry he had come, till Lady Narborough, looking at the great ormolu gilt clock that sprawled in gaudy curves on the mauve-draped mantelshelf, exclaimed: "How horrid of Henry Wotton to be so late!

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How long it may last is another question, but I am yours as yet.' She also benignantly intimated to him, aloud, the nature of the objects upon which he looked, and to which he was unaccustomed: as, 'Exotics, George,' 'An aviary, George,' 'An ormolu clock, George,' and the like.

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michaelomarabooks.com rachael.bletchly@mirror.co.uk @RachaelBletchly ANSWERS Animal, vegetable, or mineral Antimony C; Calabrese C; Dotterel C; Jacaranda B; Kohlrabi B; Moa A; Ormolu A; Ratel A.

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Look out for Craig Carrington's pair of Louis XVI marble vases, each emblazoned with an ormolu head of Medusa.

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The feel of luxury comes with the Renaissance Revival furniture, a Baroque grand mirror, religious paintings, 19th century Victorian furniture, Portuguese chairs with stamped leather upholstery and gilded mirrors, Boulle furniture (known for tortoise shells and marquetry), and brass-and-gilt ormolu.

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This ornate writing table made with dark wood and Ormolu decorations will be best complimented with a vase of Poinsettias and a simple decorative candle.

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It is often gilded to give gilt-bronze or ormolu. Making bronzes is highly-skilled work and a number of distinct casting processes may be employed including lost-wax casting (and its modern-day spin-off, investment casting), sand casting and centrifugal casting.

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An impressive French ormolu singing bird automaton mantle clock is expected to fetch up to PS12,000 and a 1930s French rug of Moroccan influence, signed in weave by Ivan de Silva Bruhns, is set to realise PS6,000.

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In the miscellanea section an elegant French marble and ormolu clock garniture realised PS1,000, a 12in bronze model of Napoleon on horseback, PS600, a ladies leather travel case by Finnigans of New Bond Street complete with silver accessories, PS480, and a pair of pocket percussion pistols by Westwood of London, PS420.

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19th century "Sevres" lidded vase with ormolu mounts painted with figures on a gilded and jewelled blue ground.