catalog text
LOUIS XV PERIOD CARVED GILTWOOD WALL MIRROR
France, circa 1750 | with much of the original gilding intact
Item # 307QOU13Z
A wonderful 18th century carved giltwood mirror, the surface is positively gorgeous with oxidization and discoloration from years of display. The gilding has rubbed through to reveal the ruby hue of the underlying bole while areas with less handling have a very dark patina, the overall effect being one with great nuance and contrast.
It retains an old silvered glass, still quite clear though certainly getting more and more smoky with age as silvering losses compound. The cartouche is heavy with opposing rocaille c-scrolls entwined with flowers throughout while hints of foliage and leaves are interlaced.
The elaborate pierced frame undulates around the rectangular silvered glass plate, the overall form being raised over a pair of outward facing feet on the bottom. These allow the mirror to rest on a console as a pier mirror, but to also hang free without utilizing the feet as a wall mirror. With fantastic dimensions and a chaotic historical surface, this is a wonderful strikepoint that just makes an interior all-around more interesting.
Measurements: 44 1/8" H x 31 5/8" W x 4" D
Condition Report: Old gilding, much of it original with later traces of overpaint and regilt; heavily worn and tarnished surfaces throughout, including light chipping that exposes the underlying gesso, rubbing through the gilding to reveal the red bole, minor cracks and striations in the gilding/underlying gesso and other blemishes. The old glass (originality unknown) shows silvering losses here and there throughout. The reverse of the mirror has two 19th century battens that were applied to strengthen the top with associated repairs to the cartouche on the front (and inpainting in the c-scrolls where the break went through). Inactive pest damage to the back. The early hanging hardware is retained on the frame and you will likely want to add your own bracket for a more secure mounting.