Antique French Gilt Rectangular Mirror C1800 - Foxed Mercury

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French Antique Company

Telephone 07899 864960

Location

Hove
East Sussex
United Kingdom

By appointment only.

Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/frenchantiquecompany

Verified Since Oct 2019

Items For Sale 27

Items Sold 699

Email French Antique Company

An antique French giltwood rectangular wall mirror featuring corner foliage carvings and a foxed glass plate.

Antique French gilt rectangular mirror c1800 - foxed mercury glass

Ref: SA1198189

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Cataloguer’s Note

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing

ObjectWall Mirrors
Period19th century
StyleFrench Empire
MaterialGiltwood, Gesso, Glass
ColourGold
MotifsCarved corner mounts, Beaded moulding, Foxed mirror plate, Rectangular frame
SizeH 171 cm (67 in) x W 95 cm (37 in)

This early 19th-century French Empire style wall mirror is fashioned from gesso and wood with a gold leaf finish. The rectangular frame displays beaded moulding, carved corner mounts with floral motifs, and a foxed mercury glass plate. The structure measures 171 cm high and 95 cm wide, and retains its panelled backboards while arriving in excellent condition without chips to the gold leaf frame. Suitable for placement above a mantel in a living room, hallway or bedroom, the mirror hangs either landscape or portrait to suit interior layouts. The reflective glass plate provides unique light reflection while the carved floral decoration complements traditional and chateau-inspired interior schemes.

FAQs

French gilt mirrors produced around 1800 combine Neoclassical symmetry with late Louis XVI and early Empire detailing, featuring clean rectangular profiles decorated with water-gilded composition or hand-carved wood.

These frames were constructed from carved timber coated with layers of gesso plaster, which was carved and smoothed before gold leaf was applied using a water-based technique.

Authentic mercury glass exhibits irregular dark speckling known as foxing, created by the historical oxidation of the tin-mercury amalgam layer on the rear of the glass plate.

A gilt mirror can be placed above a fireplace mantel, mounted on a focal wall, or rested against a neutral backdrop to create visual contrast against clean contemporary architecture.

Clean the giltwood frame using a soft, dry artist brush to gently dislodge dust, avoiding liquid cleaners or solvents which dissolve the delicate water-gilded finish and gesso foundation.

French Antique Company

Antique French Gilt Rectangular Mirror C1800 - Foxed Mercury Glass