Does/did (1912) onyx come in whole panels, say 3' x 4'?   

 

There's a lobby I'm describing, at 160 West 81st ("Is a city block allowed to be ... hilarious?    Be prepared to laugh when you take the roller coaster ride of West 81st Street, from Amsterdam to Columbus, which zooms uphill and then down like a thrill ride at Coney Island.")   and I was wondering if it might be marble which only looked like onyx.  Or am I thinking that onyx is/was more expensive than it is?

 

Christopher

I would think you could get onyx that big, but Twybil or Ken might know better.  If we ever hear from Ken again, that is.  I can't find anything in my liberry dealing with onyx.

 

You might call Kate Ottavino (a Columbia grad who worked with Theo Prudhon for awhile) or her brother-in-law Mohammed El-Kordy, at A Ottavino & Sons in Brooklyn and see what they can tell you about age and slab size availability. I should think all of that would affect cost, which would be dependent on how fragile and difficult onyx is to quarry, ship and set. The relative costs of onyx and marble would depend on which variety of each is being compared.  Ottavino ought to be able to tell you all of that sort of stuff, might even come out and identify the particular stone, and should be happy to get a plug.  Say hey for me if you do call them.

 

Sign me,

Onyx Abe