French Caryatide Vitrine and table 12th scale kit
Exceptional Louis XVI style table andvitrine The vitrine opens by one door. The legs of the table are tapering fluted quiver-form legs joined by a pierced stretcher. It is not supplied with the little urn on the stretcher. The style dates to 1754 - 1793. Louis XVI's reign who will forever be associated with the outbreak of the French Revolution and the end of Versailles' royal era. However the design is attributed to François Linke, born in 1855 in Bohemia (Czechoslovakia), worked as a cabinet-maker in Paris from about 1882 until his death in 1946. In 1900, at the apex of his career, he opened a new shop at the famous Parisian place Vendôme. He specialised in Louis XV and Louis XVI style furniture: all pieces were beautifully mounted with gilt-bronze ornaments, and he received numerous commissions. In later years his style become more ornate after collaborations with the sculpture Léon Messagé.
A simply beautiful cabinet to display your most precious miniatures.....there are too many options of how to present this piece...all of which would look perfect; Faux wood and gilt, Painted French grey with off white highlights, black and gilt, cream and gilt....the list goes on....
The kit is available as a table or Vitrine and as a set of the two
The table comes in 6 parts and unpainted.
The Vitrine (display cabinet) comes in 7 parts plus acrylic window to be cut.
The table is made from metal
The Vitrine is made from resin and metal.
The little finial is not part of the table design and therefore not included in the kit.
Made from lead free pewter alloy & Rresin
Vitrine (top section) Measurements: 5.8cm wide x 4.5cm deep x 7.5cm tall
Table Measurements: 6.5cm wide x 4.1cm deep x 7.2cm tall
NOTES
As with all my metal designs the pieces will require a little cleaning using a file and/or sandpaper. The metal is very soft so this is a simple and satifying part of the build process.
I tend to use superglue (Hafixx being my favoured choice) with a super glue activator to speed things up.
To paint the item I strongly recommend a metal primer. Spray primers are the easiest and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.
After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brished on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design.
A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest.
18th Century French Caryatide Vitrine and table 12th scale kit
Always prime metal using a spray metal primer available online in most countries. I use Rust-oleum.
Spray paints: I tend to use platikote and rust-oleum but there are many other brands who sell similar products. In the UK you can pick them up in B&Q but also available in abundance online. The choices are huge but my all time favorite colour is Rust-oleum Hessian. It is a taupe and works well if you are looking for a old heavy brown cream finish.
Paints: use almost anything - emulsion (wall paint - sample pots are cheap), acrylic, oils (generally you will get a sheen). Alway use a fine brush and dont apply too much - you can always add layers which look better than clumpy thick layers.
Make your own paints using https://www.cornelissen.com/pigments-gums-and-resins.html then add a binder such as glue or wax.
Gold and silver: Gold leaf but also gold particles suspended in a medium suitable for painting etc. This is a huge area and so I will offer a few of my favorites:
- Spray gold - lots of choice online
- If you plan to use gold leaf or Dutch metal (a cheaper and easier to use alternative) then paint the item red or yellow. This will show through the cracks and add depth.
- You will need to use Gold leaf "size" when applying leaf - its a sticky glue that doesnt stop being sticky
- I like Polyurethane gold - its easy to apply and you can wash brushes in water but its hard to source and will go off after a few years. I buy mine from "Bristol paints" https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/polyurethane
Some links to gold and silver finishes that I would recommend -
- Connoissier https://www.jacksonsart.com/brands/connoisseur
- https://www.croberson.co.uk/product-sections/roberson-gilding-materials.html
- https://www.robersonliquidmetal.co.uk/
- https://www.tiranti.co.uk/Products/gold-leaf
- https://www.modernmasters.com/landing/homeowners/brands/mpc
- https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/acrylic
- https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/polyurethane
- for people in the USA: https://sculptnouveau.com/products/metal-coatings
Of course you can make your own! Use bronze powder which is available in silver, gold, brass, bronze etc colours. Add this to wax or a glue so that it has a binder. If there are any salts in the glue then you will see your gold oxidise!
Varnish?
- I love to use wax on some items as the sheen is soft and it gives a classic patina.
- Spray varnish - polyeurethane can go yellow!
- Brushed on varnish such as modge podge is great and comes in different sheen levels.