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A pair of Empire ormolu mounted Blue John fluorspar garniture urns Early 19th century (2) image 1
A pair of Empire ormolu mounted Blue John fluorspar garniture urns Early 19th century (2) image 2
A pair of Empire ormolu mounted Blue John fluorspar garniture urns Early 19th century (2) image 3
Lot 192*

A pair of Empire ormolu mounted Blue John fluorspar garniture urns
Early 19th century

21 November 2023, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £9,600 inc. premium

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A pair of Empire ormolu mounted Blue John fluorspar garniture urns

Early 19th century
The tapering vase bodies with swept and turned knopped finial covers and applied entwined slender twin serpent handles, on milled banded socles and square bases raised on black marble plinths, the underside with small leather inventory labels numbered 3930, 13.5cm wide, 9cm deep, 22cm high (5in wide, 3 1/2in deep, 8 1/2in high) (2)

Footnotes

Provenance
Gallerie Perrin, Paris.

Blue John is a variety of the common mineral fluorspar, which is composed of calcium fluoride (CaF2). Fluorspar can be in any colour, but it is known as Blue John when it is bluish purple with a white banding, thought to be caused by inclusions or impurities. The name Blue John was not recorded until 1766, when Lady Mazarine, one of the Eyre family and a major landowner in Derbyshire, was recorded leasing 'ye mine of Blue John'. Robert Adam was incorporating Blue John into his chimney-piece designs in 1760 and Matthew Boulton referred to 'Blew John' in a letter dated 1768. Prior to the 1760s it was sometimes referred to as 'Derbyshire Drop', 'Derbyshire Spar' or even 'Radix Amethysti'.

Additional information

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