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Mirror With Louis XVI-style Glazing Beads, Made Of Carved, Gilded, Silvered, And Painted Wood.
An elegant mirror with Louis XVI-style glazing beads, crafted from carved, gilded, and painted wood, made in the second half of the 18th century.
This mirror features an architectural style characteristic of the Neoclassical taste that prevailed during the reign of Louis XVI. Its softwood frame is adorned with a set of carved and gilded glazing beads that hold the glass in place according to the traditional principle of the glazing-bead mirror.
The edge of the glass is highlighted by a fine molding decorated with pearls and fusarolles, a motif directly inherited from the ornamental vocabulary of Antiquity. The upper corners are flanked by blocks adorned with carved flowers, from which elegant garlands of laurel leaves hang from rings, reminiscent of the festoons widely used in ancient architecture.
The crown is formed by a volute-shaped console supporting a bouquet of carved flowers and foliage. On either side, garlands of foliage extend to the corners of the frame, reinforcing the composition’s balance.
The lower sections are among the most captivating features of this mirror. Delicate flowering and leafy twigs emerge from blooming flowers carved in relief and then branch out freely through the openwork cutouts in the glazing beads. This interplay between the plant motifs and the frame’s architecture creates a remarkable sense of lightness and depth.
The lower crossbar is centered by an elegant cartouche with undulating contours, whose scrollwork evokes certain cut-leather motifs inherited from the Renaissance, here reinterpreted with the restraint and symmetry characteristic of the Louis XVI style. On either side, decorative branches unfold, harmoniously extending the composition of the stiles.
The piece as a whole features an alluring polychromatic scheme combining a background painted in a soft, grayish celadon green with gilded architectural elements. The garlands, foliage, and ornaments, meanwhile, feature a silver finish that has now acquired a delicate patina over time, creating a subtle contrast that beautifully highlights the carving.
Examination of the construction reveals a historic reassembly carried out in the 19th century. The current glass panels, consisting of two pieces, date from this period and offer a beautiful reflection, along with the slight discoloration characteristic of antique silver plating. The back panel, also from the 19th century, bears witness to this earlier restoration, which required the complete disassembly and reassembly of the glazing beads. This is therefore an 18th-century mirror reassembled in the 19th century—a common practice intended to ensure the preservation and continued use of these large decorative pieces.
In excellent condition. Original gilding and patina preserved.
Louis XVI period, second half of the 18th century. Restored in the 19th century.
Dimensions:
Height: 131 cm
Width: 79 cm
Visible glass dimensions:
Height: 107 cm
Width: 60 cm
This mirror features an architectural style characteristic of the Neoclassical taste that prevailed during the reign of Louis XVI. Its softwood frame is adorned with a set of carved and gilded glazing beads that hold the glass in place according to the traditional principle of the glazing-bead mirror.
The edge of the glass is highlighted by a fine molding decorated with pearls and fusarolles, a motif directly inherited from the ornamental vocabulary of Antiquity. The upper corners are flanked by blocks adorned with carved flowers, from which elegant garlands of laurel leaves hang from rings, reminiscent of the festoons widely used in ancient architecture.
The crown is formed by a volute-shaped console supporting a bouquet of carved flowers and foliage. On either side, garlands of foliage extend to the corners of the frame, reinforcing the composition’s balance.
The lower sections are among the most captivating features of this mirror. Delicate flowering and leafy twigs emerge from blooming flowers carved in relief and then branch out freely through the openwork cutouts in the glazing beads. This interplay between the plant motifs and the frame’s architecture creates a remarkable sense of lightness and depth.
The lower crossbar is centered by an elegant cartouche with undulating contours, whose scrollwork evokes certain cut-leather motifs inherited from the Renaissance, here reinterpreted with the restraint and symmetry characteristic of the Louis XVI style. On either side, decorative branches unfold, harmoniously extending the composition of the stiles.
The piece as a whole features an alluring polychromatic scheme combining a background painted in a soft, grayish celadon green with gilded architectural elements. The garlands, foliage, and ornaments, meanwhile, feature a silver finish that has now acquired a delicate patina over time, creating a subtle contrast that beautifully highlights the carving.
Examination of the construction reveals a historic reassembly carried out in the 19th century. The current glass panels, consisting of two pieces, date from this period and offer a beautiful reflection, along with the slight discoloration characteristic of antique silver plating. The back panel, also from the 19th century, bears witness to this earlier restoration, which required the complete disassembly and reassembly of the glazing beads. This is therefore an 18th-century mirror reassembled in the 19th century—a common practice intended to ensure the preservation and continued use of these large decorative pieces.
In excellent condition. Original gilding and patina preserved.
Louis XVI period, second half of the 18th century. Restored in the 19th century.
Dimensions:
Height: 131 cm
Width: 79 cm
Visible glass dimensions:
Height: 107 cm
Width: 60 cm
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