Portor marble
Portor is a relatively rare marble quarried in
Italy and in Corsica. It is found in France, but
very sparingly. A dark black color scattered with
yellow grooves. Sometimes these grooves are grey,
the marble is then know as Portagent.
The most beautiful Portor is dark black with deep yellow veins, like golden flames. Its name most likely comes from the town of Porto Venere on the Genoese coast where Louis XIV exploited quarries for the decoration of Versailles. Much used in the 17th, 18th and until the 20th century with the Art Deco style, for beautiful furniture, objets d’art and fireplace mantels.
The most beautiful Portor is dark black with deep yellow veins, like golden flames. Its name most likely comes from the town of Porto Venere on the Genoese coast where Louis XIV exploited quarries for the decoration of Versailles. Much used in the 17th, 18th and until the 20th century with the Art Deco style, for beautiful furniture, objets d’art and fireplace mantels.
- photo 1: sample of Portor marble.
- photo 2: Detail of a gilded wood console topped with a Portor marble shelf, 18th century
Bibliography :
J. Dubarry de Lasalle, Identification of marbles, Ed. H. Vial, Dourdan, 2000
J. Dubarry de Lasalle, The use of marbles, Ed. H. Vial, Dourdan, 2005
P. Julien, Marbels, From Quarries to Palaces, ed. Le Bec en l'air, Manosque, 2006
Marmi antichi, collective work, ed. De Luca, Rome, 1998
