What is an overmantle mirror?

It's a mirror made to sit above a chimneypiece, and it's the commonest named form in the category. Just over a quarter of titles use the word, with a further handful spelling it overmantel. They're usually wide rather than tall, in carved wood and gesso, gilded or painted. Arched and shaped tops are the two profiles named most often.

Are most of these mirrors English?

No. French descriptions outnumber English ones in the titles, and French carved wood mirrors described in near-identical terms are the largest recognisable group on Sellingantiques. English carved wood and gesso overmantles come next. Italian giltwood also appears, chiefly among the pairs.

When were large antique mirrors made?

The dated field runs from 1700 to 1960, but the weight sits in the second half of the 19th century. The 1860s, 1870s and 1880s together account for more dated listings than everything else combined. The most frequent date of all is the unspecific "19th Century", given without a decade. Twentieth-century pieces are thin, and 18th-century or earlier ones appear only here and there.

What does gesso mean on a mirror frame?

Gesso is a chalk-and-glue paste built up over the carved timber to give a smooth ground for gilding or paint. It's named in roughly a quarter of titles, most often as part of the phrase carved wood and gesso. It lets fine ornament be modelled without cutting every detail into the wood itself.

Which frame finishes turn up in this category?

Gilding leads, named in nearly half the titles. Painted frames follow, including gesso painted and distressed painted. Silvered and ebonised finishes each appear on around a hundred listings. Bare timber frames in mahogany, oak, walnut, satinwood and birds eye maple make up a smaller share.

Were large mirrors made for shops as well as houses?

Yes. Alongside the gilt overmantles there's a commercial strand of outfitters, shop fitting and tailors mirrors, several of them full height. Brewery advertising mirrors made for pubs sit in the same group. It's a small but persistent part of what comes through.

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Antique Large Mirrors

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Large wall and floor mirrors in carved and gilded or painted frames, made through the 19th century as fittings for a chimneypiece, a hall or the wall between two windows.