A Period Napoleon III Mirror With A Bamboo-style Design And A Decoration Featuring Drapery With Tassels.
An elegant Napoleon III-era mirror in carved wood and gilded stucco, featuring a frame decorated to resemble bamboo stalks.
The frame is embellished with a particularly refined design of twisted ropes forming broad drapery adorned with cascading tassels. The whole is crowned by an elegant openwork floral wreath, accompanied by pleated ribbons and plant garlands that enhance the decorative character of this composition.
This mirror perfectly illustrates the eclecticism that characterized the decorative arts of the Second Empire. During the second half of the 19th century, the fascination with the Far East inspired numerous creations in which bamboo became a decorative motif in its own right. French artists and cabinetmakers freely combined it with elements borrowed from the 18th-century decorative repertoire, creating original works that blended Eastern exoticism with French elegance.
The piece presented here is a fine example of this trend. The faux bamboo frame harmonizes beautifully with the tasseled drapery, inspired by the decorative trimmings and cords that were particularly popular during the Second Empire. This abundance of ornamentation, combined with the quality of the design, gives the piece a remarkable presence.
The mirror has retained its original glass, which still bears an old label from the Saint-Gobain factory. Founded under Louis XIV, this prestigious factory remains one of France’s leading producers of glass. The presence of this label serves as valuable evidence of the glass’s authenticity and the excellent condition of the piece as a whole.
The back panel and the fir wood frame are also original.
The original gilding has been preserved. It shows some signs of wear, mainly around the edge of the glass, resulting from repeated cleanings over time. There are also a few small chips and discreet missing pieces on certain floral elements of the crown molding, which do not affect the overall presentation of the piece.
An elegant decorative mirror, representative of the refined taste and eclecticism of the Second Empire.
Frame dimensions: 158 x 90 cm
Visible mirror surface dimensions: 118 x 65 cm
The frame is embellished with a particularly refined design of twisted ropes forming broad drapery adorned with cascading tassels. The whole is crowned by an elegant openwork floral wreath, accompanied by pleated ribbons and plant garlands that enhance the decorative character of this composition.
This mirror perfectly illustrates the eclecticism that characterized the decorative arts of the Second Empire. During the second half of the 19th century, the fascination with the Far East inspired numerous creations in which bamboo became a decorative motif in its own right. French artists and cabinetmakers freely combined it with elements borrowed from the 18th-century decorative repertoire, creating original works that blended Eastern exoticism with French elegance.
The piece presented here is a fine example of this trend. The faux bamboo frame harmonizes beautifully with the tasseled drapery, inspired by the decorative trimmings and cords that were particularly popular during the Second Empire. This abundance of ornamentation, combined with the quality of the design, gives the piece a remarkable presence.
The mirror has retained its original glass, which still bears an old label from the Saint-Gobain factory. Founded under Louis XIV, this prestigious factory remains one of France’s leading producers of glass. The presence of this label serves as valuable evidence of the glass’s authenticity and the excellent condition of the piece as a whole.
The back panel and the fir wood frame are also original.
The original gilding has been preserved. It shows some signs of wear, mainly around the edge of the glass, resulting from repeated cleanings over time. There are also a few small chips and discreet missing pieces on certain floral elements of the crown molding, which do not affect the overall presentation of the piece.
An elegant decorative mirror, representative of the refined taste and eclecticism of the Second Empire.
Frame dimensions: 158 x 90 cm
Visible mirror surface dimensions: 118 x 65 cm
2 600 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Napoleon 3rd
Condition: Condition of use
Material: Gilted wood
Reference (ID): 1784026
Availability: In stock
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