The Court Palette

A colour name is not a chemical formula. The red in a photograph might be a pigment, glass, stone or varnish; the same name may have travelled between several of them. This palette keeps appearance and substance in view together.

Cinnabar / a demanding red

Cinnabar is mercury sulphide, historically associated with vermilion pigment and red lacquer. Modern red surfaces may use entirely different pigments. A cinnabar-coloured object is not proof that cinnabar is present. Historic red powders and deteriorating coatings should not be handled, scraped or tested at home.

Malachite / bands and joins

This copper carbonate mineral carries greens that turn in bands, eyes and ripples. Large decorative surfaces may be assembled from thin pieces matched to suggest a continuous pattern. A neat join can be a sign of intelligent construction, not necessarily an attempt to conceal a fault. Dust and fragments belong in professional care, not a domestic polishing experiment.

Lapis lazuli / blue with company

Lapis lazuli is a rock rather than a single mineral. Lazurite contributes its characteristic blue; calcite and pyrite may add pale areas and metallic-looking flecks. Their presence varies. Colour alone cannot distinguish natural stone from dyed, reconstructed or imitation material.

Gold and gilt metal / light at the edge

A gilt mount can be made from a base metal carrying a very thin gold surface. Solid gold, gold leaf, electroplating and gold-coloured coatings are not interchangeable descriptions. The line between a mount and its neighbouring material matters too: different rates of movement can place stress on a joint.

Silver and niello / bright ground, dark line

Silver offers a light ground against which dark inlay can become unusually crisp. Tarnish, niello and a later coating have different implications even when all appear black. Cleaning that seems to reveal a pattern can also remove a historic finish, which is why a diagnosis should come before intervention.

Glass, wood and the concealed support

Enamel depends on its metal base; lacquer may cover wood, textile or another prepared support. These hidden structures influence the shape and survival of the object. A catalogue that records only the showiest stone or brightest metal leaves much of the construction unspoken.

Read the companion technique guide for the operations that bring these materials into contact. Questions about a specific object’s safety or condition belong with an appropriately qualified conservator.