Bois Durci Plaque of John Bright

This Bois durci plaque depicts John Bright (1811-89), who was British statesman, and considered one of the greatest orators of his generation. It is from a series of ornamental plaques depicting well known figures from royalty, politics and the arts. Bois Durci (a literal translation is "hardened wood") was patented in Paris in 1856 by Francois Lepage and was achieved by mixing a very fine sawdust, usually ebony or rosewood, with albumen-the sticky substance found in blood or eggs- and combining the two in a steel mould under heat and pressure. On the reverse of this plaque is the moulded name Bois Durci, and on the front, just below Bright's image, is a small, moulded bird's wing which is another identifying feature.