HANDEL (George Frideric, 1685-1759, German-British Baroque Composer)

Delightful commemorative box made of bois durci with a portrait of Handel in profile on the front surrounded by a tooled border and Victoria, the Goddess of Victory on the back, she is flying through the air holding a wand in her left hand and a sword in the other, 3 inches across and just under 1 inch deep, there is an inscription on the back which is nearly illegible but appears to date it to

Bois Durci is one of the earliest Victorian plastic moulding materials and is based on cellulose. It was patented, in Paris in 1855, by Lepage. It is made from finely ground wood 'flour' mixed with a binder, either egg or blood albumen or gelatine. The wood is probably either ebony or rose wood, giving a black or brown result. The mixture is dried and ground to a fine powder. The powder is placed in a steel mould and compressed in a powerful hydraulic press whilst being heated by steam. The final product has a highly polished finish imparted by the surface of the steel mould.

Some authorities state that Bois Durci went out of use by the late 1880s, but recent research show that it was still being produced under the 'Bois Durci' name even after the First World War. The natural materials were gradually replaced by synthetic resins over a long period. There are many different products made with this material.

Item Date:  1826

Stock No:  55073      £1250

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