What is an overmantel mirror?

A mirror made to hang or sit on the wall above a fireplace. It is the dominant form in the category, and the frames are commonly gilt. Listings spell it both ways. Overmantle appears in 861 titles and overmantel in 198, so both spellings are worth searching.

Why do so many say gilt?

Because a gilded carved-wood-and-gesso frame was the default. Gilt appears in nearly half of all titles on Sellingantiques, with giltwood and gesso named separately in hundreds more. Gilt covers a wide set of finishes, though. Gilded plaster, silvered leaf, parcel gilt over ebonised ground and painted frames all sit under the same broad heading.

Which decade do most examples come from?

The 1880s, by a clear margin. That decade alone accounts for 548 dated listings, more than the 1850s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s and 1920s put together. The 1870s and 1860s follow. Nearly half the dating in the category is a span rather than a year, given as Victorian or 19th century.

Are cheval and dressing mirrors part of this?

Yes, and they make up roughly a fifth of the category. Cheval mirrors stand on their own floor frames; dressing, toilet and swing mirrors pivot between uprights on a table top. These are the solid-timber side of the category. Mahogany leads, walnut next, with figured and burr timbers sitting at the upper end.

How often do these come up for sale?

Around 278 a year, and 281 different dealers have listed one. That makes it one of the most widely stocked things on Sellingantiques rather than a specialist's corner. Pairs are a minor but genuine strand, with pair in 100 titles, from small girandoles to matched oval giltwood mirrors.

What unusual forms turn up?

Alongside the overmantels and cheval mirrors, the odd one surfaces once or twice: a fairground distortion glass, a cast-iron overmantel, a pharmacy dispensing mirror, an acid-etched pub mirror. Others include a marble-framed mirror, a shell mirror, a tortoiseshell ripple frame and a convex sorcerer's or witch's mirror. Frames in faux bamboo, birds-eye maple, satin birch and burr yew also appear.

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Victorian Mirrors

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Framed looking glasses of the British nineteenth century, made to hang above a fireplace, fill the wall between windows, or stand at a dressing table.