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Matthew Boulton Masterpieces: Rare 18th-Century Cassolettes

These cassolettes are notable for their rare barite-included fluorspar stone, a unique material Boulton was known for using in his creations. Each piece in this pair features richly gilded surfaces, a reversible nozzle set within a guilloche band, an ovoid body, and is adorned with elaborately designed ram’s head motifs, entrelac arms, and ribbon-tied foliage swags. The cassolettes rest on a waisted socle and square stepped plinth, and they remain in very good condition considering their age.

Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) was an early English industrialist who introduced the French fashion of ormolu (gilded metal) into the English market. This technique involved using a gold amalgam applied to items, which was then heated to remove mercury, leaving a gold decoration. Boulton initially collaborated with Josiah Wedgwood for ceramic vases but later switched to using marble, Blue John, and other rare stones due to their better suitability for bearing the weight of decorations. He was influenced by the designs of antiquity and the new classicism popularized by Thomas Sheraton, George Hepplewhite, and Robert Adam. Boulton’s creations were highly prized by English and European royalty and nobility, including George III, Catherine II of Russia, and the Prince of Wales (later George IV).

 

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Pair Of Ormolu Mounted Cassolettes Attributed to Matthew Boulton

Stock Number: 67947

A pair of late 18th-century ormolu-mounted English fluorspar cassolettes attributed to Matthew Boulton. The approximate sizes of these cassolettes are 19.5 cm in height, 14.5 cm in width, 22.85 cm in height with the candle exposed, and 9.5 cm in depth. These Cassolettes are exceptional works of art from one of the most important English makers, incorporating rare English specimen stones.

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Dimensions

Approximate Dimensions

  • Height with candle showing: 22.8 cm (9 inches)
  • Width : 14 cm (5.5 inches)
  • Depth: 9 cm (3.5 inches)

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