What goes under a pier mirror?

A console table makes the traditional pairing. They were designed to sit flat against the skirting board beneath the glass. You also see low cabinets and pier tables used. The trick is finding a piece that matches the width of the frame above it.

Can you re-silver old mirror glass?

Specialists can strip and replace the silvering. It requires harsh chemicals to remove the degraded backing before laying a new reflective surface down. Most dealers advise against it. Leave the original plates alone if you can see your face in them.

I have noticed a line running horizontally across the middle of the glass on an older frame, is this normal or a repair?

That horizontal line marks where two separate plates of glass meet. Glassmakers in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries struggled to cast single tall sheets. Framemakers solved this by overlapping a smaller top plate over a larger bottom plate. They often covered the join with a narrow wooden moulding or left it visible. Finding a two-part plate on an early antique pier mirror is a standard structural detail. It points to early manufacturing limits rather than later damage.

We are looking at a painted frame but we can see traces of dull gold showing through chipped areas on the corners, what does this mean?

Later generations often painted over old gilded frames when the gold leaf became tarnished or unfashionable. A flat white or grey coat of paint provided a quick update for a changing interior. The dull gold you see is the original gilding layer beneath the paint. It sits on top of the gesso and bole. Removing later paint to reveal the gold takes time and a steady hand. Many buyers prefer to leave the worn painted finish exactly as it is.

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Victorian Pier Mirrors

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Tall, narrow looking glasses designed to hang on the masonry pier between two windows, reflecting light back into the room and breaking up dark wall space.