How do you clean the gold frame?

Dust it lightly with a soft, dry brush. Never use water or household cleaning sprays on the frame. Moisture turns the glue in the gesso back to mush, and the gold leaf will wash away. If the carving is deeply recessed, a clean makeup brush works well to lift the surface dust. Leave any stubborn marks alone. The darkened recesses are supposed to be there, adding depth to the carving.

I have a heavy French mirror with a large crest on top, what is the safest way to actually hang it on the wall?

You need to bypass the original backboards. The antique nails and brittle pine aren't meant to take the strain of modern hanging wire. Most dealers screw heavy-duty fittings directly into the thickest part of the wooden frame carcase. Rest the weight of the mirror on heavy fixed wall brackets if the piece is large. The rings and wire should only serve to keep the top flat against the wall, rather than bearing the vertical load.

Can the dark spots be removed?

No. The dark spots sit behind the glass where the silvering has degraded over time. You would have to strip and re-silver the entire plate. Doing this removes the historic character of the glass.

My mirror has a dull red colour showing through the gold on the corners, is this normal or has someone painted it in the past?

That red layer is the bole. It is a clay applied directly under the gold leaf during the water gilding process. The gilder needed this smooth clay base to burnish the gold to a shine. Seeing the red bole is a good sign. It shows where housemaids have dusted the prominent edges over the centuries, wearing away the thin gold leaf. Dealers expect to see this natural wear on the high points of the carving.

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Antique French Mirrors in South West

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Antique French mirrors were designed to reflect candlelight across aristocratic rooms, combining gilded wooden or composite frames with thick silvered glass plates.