Are all these mirrors actually from the Edwardian period?

Not strictly. Edwardian is the dated field on 348 listings, but of the 882 in the archive only 375 carry a clean year, and those years run from 1800 to 1930. Titles say the same thing. Victorian appears in 60, 19th Century in 51, Regency in 19 and 20th Century in 19, so the heading covers a style and a loose bracket as much as a reign.

What shape is most common?

Oval, by a distance. It appears in 174 titles, and oval mahogany wall mirrors with inlay are close to the category's standard piece. The samples also throw up heart-shaped, horseshoe, shield, octagonal, clover-leaf, porthole and hour-glass frames, each turning up only once or twice.

Which woods are used for the frames?

Mahogany leads with 209 titles, then oak at 96 and walnut at 56. Inlay is a recurring note, named in 83 titles and often combined with mahogany. At the upper end dealers name satinwood, burr and figured walnut, rosewood, kingwood and marquetry. Plain oak and beech frames sit lower.

What is a cheval mirror?

A tall mirror hung between two uprights on feet so it tilts, standing free on the floor rather than hanging. It has been a bedroom fixture since the early nineteenth century. Cheval accounts for 140 titles, roughly one in seven of the group, and mahogany cheval alone for 45.

Do gilt mirrors turn up as often as wooden ones?

They form a large parallel group. Gilt appears in 190 titles, giltwood in 32 and gesso in 44, with many titles pairing carved wood and gesso. Much of that gilt work is overmantles, and the top of the range is held by large gilded and painted examples.

Were shop and commercial mirrors made too?

Yes, and they are a genuine sub-population rather than a curiosity. Shop appears in 18 titles. Outfitters, tailors, haberdashery, department store and chemist mirrors all turn up, along with billiard and fairground examples. A gentleman's outfitters mirror measured 6ft 5in.