Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1870s.
The central mirror plate with a beaded border and four outer mirror plates, the outer frame with floral decoration and s-scroll spandrels to each corner.
This giltwood mirror is a very decorative item which will enhance the look of any room.
Condition:
In excellent condition, the frame having its been beautifully cleaned in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 133 x Width 92 x Depth 14
Dimensions in inches:
Height 52.4 x Width 36.2 x Depth 5.5
Mirrors are commonly used for personal grooming or admiring oneself (in which case the archaic term looking-glass is sometimes still used), decoration, and architecture.
The earliest manufactured mirrors were pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. In classical antiquity, mirrors were made of solid metal (bronze, later silver) and were too expensive for widespread use by common people; they were also prone to corrosion. Due to the low reflectivity of polished metal, these mirrors also gave a darker image than modern ones, making them unsuitable for indoor use with the artificial lighting of the time.
The method of making mirrors out of plate glass was invented by 16th-century Venetian glassmakers on the island of Murano, who covered the back of the glass with mercury, obtaining near-perfect and undistorted reflection. For over one hundred years, Venetian mirrors installed in richly decorated frames served as luxury decorations for palaces throughout Europe, but the secret of the mercury process eventually arrived in London and Paris during the 17th century, due to industrial espionage. French workshops succeeded in large-scale industrialization of the process, eventually making mirrors affordable to the massed.
Our reference: 09740
Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1870s.
We specialise in english and continental furniture, silver, porcelain and decorative items.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Regent Antiques Profile Page
Regent Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA CINOA
Antique Giltwood Louis Revival Overmantel Cushion Mirror 19th C 133x 92cm
