Bellum by Emile Louis Picault (French 1833-1915)

Cast pewter, patinated copper plate

Private collection

During the 19th Century, pewter castings were made with a new, ingenious technology developed to give the burgeoning middle class access to the accoutrements of the upper class. The low melting point of pewter metal was relatively inexpensive to cast, and new industrial plating processes made it possible to create bronze-like surfaces with colors beyond those possible with traditional patina techniques.