Jardinière is the French word for a decorative planter to hold flowers or plants. For the most part, they were used inside a home. Jardinières range from the very simple in design and style to quite elaborate. This jardiniere bears a lovely Sevres plaque. The Sèvres porcelain factory was established in the town bearing its name in 1738. Sèvres was an innovative firm, first to use hard paste porcelain made from a mixture of kaolin feldspar and quartz that produced a beautiful thin and delicate body. The glaze is often a translucent pale blue or soft pink and has a glossy finish. Sèvres porcelain often features paintings of landscapes and flowers and is also decorated with silver and gold.

 

Kingwood is a dense, exotic type of rosewood that was and can be still  sourced from a very small region of Brazil. It is known for its striking violet-brown color and grain and is very expensive. It was almost exclusively used on inlays on very fine furniture, as it has a bright luster, takes a nice polish and develops patina as it ages.

 

 

Bronze d'oré, also known as ormolu or gilt bronze, was a decorative finish used on luxury furnishings in the 18th and 19th centuries. An application of finely ground high carat gold and mercury amalgam was placed on objects of bronze. When subjected to extremely high heat, the mercury evaporated, leaving behind a lustrous coating of gold.

 

Gilt-bronze trim was used to protect furniture from damage and to emphasize form, and to mount beautiful objects such as candelabra, clocks, lamps, pedestals and porcelain vases.