Louis XVI casket on stand - 12th scale unpainted

A little bit about this item:

This magnificent Louis XVI style ormolu casket sits on four tapered, fluted legs connected by a curving X-form stretcher. In the centre of this stretcher is an urn decorated with rams heads. The apron is inset with plaques surmounted with laurel leaf mounts. The casket itself is of oval architectural form, and is set on small feet. It features further plaques including a central oval portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette within a crowned gilt cartouche. The casket opens at the lid. In the original there was an inscription below the portrait of Marie Antoinette which spuriously read ‘This casket formerly property of Marie Antoinette, presented to my beloved wife as souvenir of our European tour / Sept 8th 1886 / Louis L. Smith’

This is a magnifent piece. An obvious show stopper placed in any 12th scale room and is fabulous enough to have as a stand alone miniature to observe. Maybe it could be the basis of a small scene displayed on its own.

I have some images of the original in this listing. It is the gilt one!

The casket is huge (as you would expect from a box that covers the entire table top) but if this is too large for you then I will be creating a listing for an reduced size casket for anyone wishing to show off a smaller number of jewels!

At the time of writing this I am working on a set of images for the inserts that will take the form of prints or decals. Some will not be as seen on the casket. I know that some miniaturists will take on the challenge to paint the panels themselves (any 12th scale painted artistry has to be award winning based on the tiniest size of brushes (or should I say hairs!) required.

The whole design can be kept as intended or the table and casket can be used seperately and seperated.

Due to the nature of the design the table is made of resin and metal and the casket resin.

If you are planning on gilding the design then please sand and prime all the parts making sure not to clog the placement of the lid to the casket. Assemble before painting.

The caskets original interior was Velvet and I think lining the interior would be wonderful - a nice little suprise to anyone opening it.

If you wish to buy the original it will cost you an eye watering £280,000 - that is why we make miniatures!!! We can all afford to own one!

Measurements:

Table

Height 7.6cm tall

Length of table 9.3cm

Depth 6cm

Casket Large

Height 5cm (the casket is split into a lid and base both being 2.5cm tall)

Length 7.8cm

Depth 4cm

Casket Small

Height 2.7cm

Length 4.4cm

Depth 2.2cm

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.

Louis XVI Small and large casket on table 12th scale unpainted

From £13.20

Quantity

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.
I always use a cyano type glue which most of us know this as super glue. My favourite is Haffix https://www.hafixs.co.uk/onlinestore/RCshop.html

If you are looking for a thicker super glue then try Deluxe although I warn you that their website is beyond tempting! https://deluxematerials.co.uk/collections/cyanoacrylates/products/roket-cyano-gel

I also use a superglue activator of which there are many to choose from but here is a link to one of them: https://www.buildandplumb.co.uk/building-supplies-c21/sealants-tapes-adhesives-c228/adhesives-glue-c231/bond-it-clear-cyanoacrylate-accelerator-p12994/s35830?utm_medium=organic&utm_term=bond-it-clear-cyanoacrylate-accelerator-400ml-size-400ml-size-400ml-646857&utm_campaign=froogle&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB

Activator and superglue are available online and you can find different brands that are cheaper but for me the above tend to be my go to reliable brands.

Please also note that despite superglue setting super fast it actually can take a day or two to fully cure so be gentle with your model!
Most of my kits are self explanatory but where the kit is complex I usually add the directions to the listing on the website. If there are none then it means the item is fairly straight forward to assemble.

You may find a few hints and tips in the main description of the item.

Before gluing I strongly recommend checking each section for casting spurs - these are little bits of metal left over from the casting process. They can be snapped or cut off or filed. Each design has its own little casting spur etc but sometimes these are hardly noticeable.
This is OK to do and therefore you would need to choose free carriage on your second order assuming that it was not too large. I will then combine both in one delivery.

I combine orders when I print them. I usually spot them but occassionally customers may order using different names (eg their husbands account and their own account) - I wont spot these so please email me if there could be any confusion.
SPAIN & ITALY & ISRAEL & GREECE - please only choose tracking as we have many issues with parcels going missing. We can not post to these countries unless tracking is chosen.

International: If you wish to have tracking then this is an option at check out. Unfortunately our post office system does not email you with updates and the tracking number. However I shall have your tracking details and should you require them please let me know and I can email them to you.

UK: We send using MYHERMES / EVRI. They are reliable and on each delivery the courier will photograph an image of the delivery address as proof of postage. Since introducing this system it is rare that a parcel goes missing. You should also receive emailed updates as to the progress of your parcel.