Insider - Antique identification, discussion and care
Articles on Decorative Arts
cleaning gilt bronze
The internet is a dangerous place to research methods to clean gilt bronze (called ormolu in France). Every crackpot has a nostrum guaranteed to produced marvelous results, while typically doing more harm than good. There is one method of cleaning gilt bronze that is usually effective, and will not damage the gilding in any way.
19th century lighting
There is no better way to bring beauty to a room than installing a high quality chandelier. The Empire and Restauration periods produced bronze work of unparalleled quality, and many copies created later in the 19th century were made to high technical standards. Unfortunately, finding a good example at a reasonable price is quite challenging.
