An extraordinary antique Elkington and Co. copper style electrotype centerpiece of the Battle of the Amazons by the renowned French silver smith Antoine Vechte.
This copy of Antoine Vechte's 'Battle of the Amazons' was made sometime after the original had been presented and much lauded at the Great Exhibition of 1851. It’s not known how many were made but it is documented that one identical to the one presented here, was one of the first electrotypes in the V&A's collection and acquired in 1852.
The copy is made by depositing copper into a mould using electricity. This 'Electro-Deposit' is then coated with copper-sulphate giving the appearance of bronze so as to replicate valuable, or more delicate items. The original was in fact made in silver and is/was believed to be owned by the King of Prussia.
It really is a sight to behold with an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and detail and depicts the legend of Theseus and his conquest of the Amazons. In the scene we see the battle raging around Hippolyta before Theseus bears her away to become his Athenian bride. It’s thought the original was intended as a large buffet platter but it’s believed that most were displayed as works of art, as this most justifiably is.
The piece is in wonderful antique condition with a just a few marks and slight bends in the perimeter of the dish; which could easily be straightened out if you had a mind to do so. Here one can also see a small hole on the very edge that was previously drilled to enable the dish to be displayed on a wall when hung from a thin wire. Note that whilst it is believed that this is a copper electrotype by virtue of examining the back and the front surface, it's possible that some elements of the design are copper coloured or copper coated to give the appearance of copper.
The dish could obviously be displayed as a platter on a table or sideboard, or in fact set into a table display or case. However, in my opinion, I believe it’s best displayed as a work of art in a box frame on a wall, and you will see in one of the pictures I’ve shown how this might look in a shadow box (not included).
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