What is the difference between a toilet mirror and a cheval mirror?

A toilet mirror sits on a chest of drawers or dressing table, usually featuring a small drawer base beneath the pivoting glass. A cheval mirror is traditionally a full-length pivoting glass standing on the floor, though smaller tabletop versions also appear in the record. Tabletop cheval mirrors combine the small scale of a toilet mirror with the pivoting frame mechanics characteristic of full-length cheval designs.

How do I identify a Georgian mahogany mirror?

Georgian mirrors typically display clean architectural lines, solid mahogany frames, and box bases fitted with small graduated drawers. They rely on proportion and timber grain rather than heavy ornamentation. Details such as bracket feet, ogee mouldings, and hand-cut dovetails on the internal drawer boxes point toward eighteenth-century production.

Did these mirrors always have drawers?

Not all examples include storage drawers beneath the glass frame. Many Georgian and Victorian toilet mirrors rest on simple upright scrolls or box plinths without compartments. When drawers are present, they range from single serpentine fronts to banks of three small compartments designed for storing small personal items.

How do I care for antique mahogany and mirror glass?

Keep the timber clean by dusting with a dry cloth and occasionally applying a traditional wax polish to nourish the mahogany grain. Avoid placing the mirror in direct sunlight to prevent fading of the polished surface. Handle the brass pivots with care when adjusting the angle, and clean the glass plate gently using a mild cleaner applied to a cloth rather than sprayed directly onto the frame.