Can I re-gild a chipped frame?

Re-gilding should be a last resort. Touching up small areas of loss with matching gold leaf or bronze powder is standard practice and preserves the original patina. Stripping a frame back to bare wood destroys the historic gesso layers. A restorer can usually consolidate flaking areas with rabbit skin glue before addressing the missing chips.

My house has central heating and gets quite warm in the winter, will this cause any issues for an old wood and gesso mirror frame?

Constant central heating dries out antique furniture. The pine carcase shrinks as it loses moisture, which forces the rigid gesso layer to crack or flake off. Try to avoid hanging these pieces directly over a working radiator or in direct sunlight. If the room is bone dry, introducing some ambient humidity helps keep the joints stable over time.

How heavy are antique mirrors?

They weigh a considerable amount. Period glass is thick and the solid timber backboards add significant bulk. Always use heavy-duty fixings driven directly into masonry or a wall stud. Picture wire and standard hooks are rarely adequate for large nineteenth-century examples.

I have noticed some dark spots and cloudiness appearing behind the glass on a piece I inherited, is there a way to clean it off?

Those dark spots are not dirt. They are areas where the tin and mercury backing has broken down and detached from the glass. You cannot clean them away without stripping the historic mirror backing. Most collectors prefer to leave this degradation alone as part of the natural ageing process. Re-silvering a period plate requires specialist chemical handling and alters the character of the mirror. It is usually better to accept the clouded areas.

Home > Mirrors > Gilt Mirrors > Page 8

Neoclassical Gilt Mirrors

← Page 8 of 11 →

Antique gilt mirrors are decorative looking glasses framed in carved wood or composition that has been overlaid with thin sheets of gold leaf to reflect light and brighten dim interiors.