Are most oval mirrors gilded?

Gilding is the defining feature of the category. The word 'gilt' appears in 626 of 1,292 titles, close to half, and that is before 'giltwood', 'gilded', 'gilt wood' and 'timber gilt' are counted separately. The rest divide between plain timber frames, mahogany and oak mainly, and a small group in brass, copper and other metal.

What period do they usually date from?

Decade-level dating clusters tightly on the 1860s through the 1900s, with the 1910s and 1920s close behind. The dated field as a whole runs 1700 to 1930. A large number of listings carry a style label instead of a year, '19th Century', Edwardian or Victorian, which describes the look rather than fixing a date.

How common are 18th-century oval mirrors?

Uncommon. The word '18th' appears in only 27 of the sampled titles, so anything earlier than about 1800 is a small part of what comes up. When they do appear, they sit at the very top of the range, along with mirrors described in Georgian, Regency or Adam-period terms.

Do oval mirrors come in pairs?

Almost one listing in ten is a pair rather than a single glass, with 'pair' in 120 titles. Pairs recur through the upper part of the range, and several of the highest-placed entries on Sellingantiques are pairs.

Which oval mirrors stand on a table?

Dressing table, toilet, swing and cheval mirrors all turn up with oval plates. Toilet mirrors are small, on a stand or a drawered box base; cheval mirrors swing between two floor-standing uprights. Together they are under a tenth of the archive, though they are rising as a share of current stock.

Are there any well-known makers to look for?

No. A scan across 1,292 listings returned no maker's name recurring often enough to register. This is a category sold on style, gilding and size rather than attribution.