What's the difference between a toilet mirror and a swing mirror?

In practice, nothing. Both names describe a plate pivoting between two uprights on a table-top stand, and dealers use them interchangeably. Many listings hedge by giving two names at once, separated by a slash. 'Toilet mirror' is the older trade term and appears in 124 of 578 archive titles.

How old are these mirrors usually?

The dealer-supplied date field runs from 1750 to 1930. The largest single bucket is a vague '19th Century', which reads as an approximation rather than a date, followed by Georgian, Victorian, 18th Century and Regency labels. Some titles reach back further than the dated range, with Queen Anne walnut examples described as early 18th century and one as about 1710. Edwardian, 1920s and 1930s pieces are real but a small share.

Which wood is most common?

Mahogany, and by a wide margin. It appears in 280 of 578 titles, close to a defining material for the category. Walnut is second at 54 titles. Satinwood and oak turn up in about one title in a hundred each, with single instances of rosewood, kingwood, amboyna, harewood, burr maple, birch, olive wood and teak.

Are silver dressing mirrors part of this category?

Yes, as a small but distinct strand of 15 titles. They include silver-mounted frames and one flat-backed strut mirror held up by a hinged support. This is the only part of the category dated to the year rather than by opinion, because assay marks give it. London years of 1889, 1895, 1896, 1900, 1903 and 1904 all appear.

Do these mirrors come up often for sale?

Around 57 come to market in a year on Sellingantiques, and 196 separate dealers have listed one. That means the category is spread very thinly across the trade, with most dealers having handled only one or two.

What unusual examples turn up?

Non-British pieces are uncommon. French appears in 20 titles, with Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Venetian, Anglo-Indian, Russian and Chinese examples appearing once or twice each. One-offs include a folding olive wood travel mirror, a Qing cheval mirror in hardwood and mother of pearl, a carved limewood mirror in the Black Forest manner, a Delft-mounted Dutch mirror and a boot maker's mirror. Sizes are rarely given. The smallest recorded is a miniature mahogany dressing mirror of about 1860; the largest are described only as grand scale or very large.

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Antique Dressing Table Mirrors

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A small pivoting mirror plate on a stand, made to sit on a dressing table or chest and be tilted to whoever was sitting at it, commonly over a base of little drawers for combs, pins and cosmetics.

18th century

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Georgian Mahogany Dressing Table Mirror

From S and S Timms Antiques Ltd

£1,450

FOR SALE

mirrors

19th century

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French Gilded Easel Mirror

From French Lavender Antiques and Interiors

£285

FOR SALE

mirrors

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