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.

 

Meissen porcelain is the first of the European hard-paste porcelains, established in 1710 in Meissen, Germany.  By the 18th century, Chinese and Japanese porcelain products were imported on large scale by the Dutch East India Company, but they were expensive.  The Europeans wanted to continue having fine quality porcelain that represented wealth, importance and refined taste, but not at the high costs associated with imports from abroad.  Great experimentation with various products took place and the Meissen factory successfully produced a glasslike ceramic resistant to staining and crazing.  Other porcelains, such as Sèvres, soon achieved similar status.  Meissen is known for elegant design, whimsical figurines and applied floral elements, particularly evident in the 19th century. The porcelain is highly collected in today’s market.