What decorative metalwork term refers to gilt-bronze mounts used on Rococo furniture?

• A. ormolu
• B. gilt
• C. brass
• D. bronze

Answer: (A)

Ormolu is the term for gilt-bronze mounts used on Rococo furniture. It describes bronze elements that have been gilded to a bright gold surface, then applied as decorative mounts—think escutcheons, brackets, mounts, and feet that gleam with rich gold against the carved wood. This finish became distinctive in 18th-century French Rococo interiors, where the fleet, flowing curves and botanical motifs of the style were highlighted by the luxurious gold gleam of ormolu. The idea is not just gold on a surface, but a specific technique and material pairing: bronze shaped into ornamental mounts, then gilded to a gold finish. The other terms don’t capture this exact combination—gilt refers more generally to gold leaf or gold coating on various substrates, brass is a copper-zinc alloy without the gilded bronze aspect, and bronze alone denotes the metal without the gilded finish.