Double-pediment Mirror Made Of Carved Wood And Gilded With Silver Leaf, Northern Italy, Late 18th Century

A rare and highly decorative 18th-century Italian mirror, entirely hand-carved and silver-leafed. Its slender silhouette, featuring double pediments—one at the top and one at the bottom—gives it a striking presence. It would look lovely above a fireplace, a console table, or a chest of drawers.The openwork upper pediment is adorned with a gadrooned medallion centered over a small oval mirror. It is surrounded by acanthus leaves and slender volutes. The side panels feature generous acanthus leaves and finely carved grape clusters against a background of incised latticework. The lower pediment mirrors this composition, complete with a rosette and foliage.The leaf-applied silver plating has developed a superb patina—greenish-gray and silver—with areas of wear revealing the red base metal beneath. The original mercury mirror, with its pitted and oxidized surface, provides the deep, poetic reflection sought after by collectors and interior designers.The softwood back, with its joined planks, nailed crossbars, and tool marks, bears witness to 18th-century craftsmanship. The pediments are carved from the same piece of wood as the back, ensuring the piece’s overall uniformity.An authentic piece with an intact patina, never restored or repainted. Shows signs of use, with preserved patina of age: cracks and splits in the wood, particularly on the upper pediment;minor losses of silver plating and carving on the scrollwork; pitted and oxidized glass, typical of antique mercury; traces of old mounting hardware on the back
Height: 109 cm
Width: 51 cm