Large Italian Painted Marginal Mirror, 1860s

A Charming Mid 19th Century Italian Wooden Framed, Rectangular, Cushion Type Marginal Mirror Of Rare Large Proportions, Having Large Central Mirror Plate, Flanked By Smaller Mostly Original Rectangular Margin Plates, Secured By Elegant Cut Glass Leaves, with Attractive Gadrooning And Matchstick Fluted Carved Decoration To Frames with Original Paint Finish.

This wonderful mirror is a really great combination and fusion of both Italian and French designs from the 18th and 19th centuries. It boasts attractive cut glass mount decoration, which is often regarded as a typically Venetian design, but also the typically French feature of marginal plates and a painted finish. So we have settled on a North Italian provenance, although we would be more than happy to be definitively proved wrong on this if somebody knows different.

One thing we do know for certain is that the mirror is of incredible scale and proportion and would be the absolute making of many a room. The size is most unusual, especially when combined with the relatively simple, but at the same time very elegant design. Another good feature is that the mirror can be hung both landscape or portrait allowing for many different options in terms of placement.

Overall the condition is very good. As one would expect there are a few areas of minor damage which have been sympathetically restored and also there are a few areas (particularly around the edges of the frame) where the paint is chipped and worn. None of these areas are aesthtically displeasing however and if anything they add to to the overall appeal of the piece showing that it is both old and has had a life.

The mirror plates themselves appear to nearly all be original, although its impossible to guarantee this. Certainly there are appropriate levels of silvering and wear to presume they are original. One of the margin plates has a significant amount more silvering than the others, however we still don’t believe it is anything to much to worry about and this can be clearly seen in the images. Should one desire then it would be simple enough to have some, or even all of the mirror plates switched for brand new ones which show no silvering at all.

As with all items we offer for sale this large antique mirror has been inspected and attended to in our workshops by our highly skilled antique furniture restorers and they have ensured that it is ready for immediate placement on the wall following purchase.

Circa 1860.

Height 52in.
Width 81in.
Depth 2in.