Sliding Pocket Mirror Carved From Boxwood – Masonic Iconography And Coats Of Arms, France,

A superb and rare sliding pocket (or travel) mirror, crafted from boxwood and finely carved in high relief.The reverse features a rich Masonic iconography, while the front depicts a man’s profile set within a rocaille cartouche adorned with lozenges and floral motifs.

Iconographic and Symbolic Analysis:

• The Masonic Panel (Back): The luminous Delta pierced by the Eye of Providence at the top is clearly visible, overlooking a delicately intertwined compass and square. The composition is framed by branches of foliage (presumably acacia, a symbol of immortality and regeneration) and tied at the base by a ribbon forming a love knot (the cord of union). The deliberate omission of the letter “G” reflects an ancient and rigorous symbolic tradition centered on sacred geometry.

• The secular panel with coat of arms (Front): The profile of a man, with his hair styled and dressed according to late 18th-century fashion, is enclosed within a shield flanked by lozenges (heraldic attributes associated with the nobility or an illustrious bourgeois background). The whole is embellished with rosettes and shell motifs typical of the transitional decorative vocabulary.

Material and Technique: The body and panels are carved from boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), the material of choice for small-scale artistic cabinetmaking and precision metalwork due to its hardness and compact grain. The original interior mirror retains its period mercury mirror plate, which displays the patina and oxidation characteristic of its age.

Period and Provenance:

• France (likely crafted in the specialized workshops of the Jura or the Lyon region, renowned for boxwood carving).

• Late 18th century (circa 1780–1800), on the eve of or at the turn of the Revolutionary period, reflecting the Enlightened elites’ adherence to speculative Freemasonry.

Dimensions:

• Height: 13 cm

• Width: 10 cm

Condition: Excellent overall condition. Signs of normal wear and a warm patina on the wood. The sliding mechanism (on a rail) functions properly. Original mercury mirror with antique oxidation spots.

A collector’s item of great refinement, ideal for lovers of esotericism, ancient Masonic art, and 18th-century curiosities.