Vintage Easel Mirror
A vintage easel mirror brings portable reflection to a dressing table or vanity, offering adjustable angles through a hinged rear strut.
Vintage Easel Mirror
A vintage easel mirror is a portable looking glass designed for upright placement on a tabletop, supported by a hinged back leg rather than wall fixings. When searching for a vintage easel mirror, buyers encounter a variety of dressing table mirrors, vanity mirrors, and shaving mirrors spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The selection ranges from compact Edwardian and Victorian sterling silver strut mirrors to decorative Art Nouveau brass designs and substantial French rococo revival gilt bronze pieces. Common forms include small table mirrors, heart-shaped mirrors, and larger continental porcelain or champlevé examples intended for permanent display on a surface.
Materials and construction
Makers constructed these pieces using a foundation of brass, sterling silver, silver plate, or carved wood such as kingwood and giltwood, often incorporating velvet backing or gesso details. Metal frames frequently display repoussé work, champlevé enamel, or cast ornamentation in Renaissance and rococo styles.
Support is provided by a hinged rear strut or easel back, allowing the glass to tilt at a chosen angle. Smaller examples utilise a simple folding arm, while larger mirrors rely on robust metal or wooden frames to secure the mirror glass.
Materials recorded across the selection include silver plate, champlevé enamel, gilt bronze, kingwood, and velvet.
Assessing quality and craftsmanship
Quality in these pieces depends on the weight and integrity of the metalwork, the depth of repoussé chasing, and the clarity of the original mirror glass. Finer examples exhibit crisp casting in brass or bronze, secure hinges that hold their position, and well-preserved silver hallmarks or maker stamps.
Consideration should be given to the execution of decorative elements, such as hand-carved giltwood frames or detailed porcelain mounts, which separate standard production items from finer studio or continental work.
WMF·Sitzendorf
The Vintage Easel Mirror Glossary
- Strut mirror
- A mirror supported by a hinged prop or leg attached to the back, allowing it to stand independently on a flat surface. This term is frequently used interchangeably with easel mirror.
- Repoussé
- A metalworking technique where the metal is hammered from the reverse side to form a raised design in relief on the front. It appears frequently on Edwardian and Victorian brass frames.
- Champlevé
- An enamelling technique where troughs are dug into a metal surface and filled with vitreous enamel before firing. It is often found on late nineteenth-century French table mirrors.
- Giltwood
- Wood that has been treated with a thin layer of gold leaf or gold paint. This finish appears on revival-style frames from the nineteenth century.
- Hallmark
- An official stamp applied to precious metals indicating purity, maker, and assay office. Sterling silver dressing table mirrors carry these marks to verify metal content.
Vintage Easel Mirror: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clean the mirror glass safely?
Use a soft cloth dampened with a mild glass cleaner, applying it to the cloth rather than directly onto the glass to prevent moisture from seeping behind the frame.
Take care to avoid chemical cleaners coming into contact with silver, brass, or velvet backing materials.
Are these mirrors heavy enough to stand securely?
Most examples possess a weighted metal or wooden frame designed to counterbalance the rear strut and maintain a stable upright position.
Larger models require careful placement on a flat surface to ensure the easel mechanism supports the weight effectively.
Can the angle of the easel be adjusted?
The hinged rear strut pivots to alter the tilt of the glass, allowing the user to set a comfortable viewing angle for a dressing table.
Older mechanisms should be adjusted with care to avoid stressing the hinge joints or the material of the backboard.
How do I identify the period of a metal frame?
Stylistic indicators such as flowing floral lines point towards Art Nouveau, while geometric symmetry and clean lines suggest Art Deco manufacture.
Silver hallmarks and stamped maker marks provide definitive dates and origins for many sterling silver and plated pieces.