Wall mirror - Wood, Glass - 124 cm

Large wall mirror in carved and gilded wood - Louis XV / Rococo Revival style, France, 1900.

Object: large wall mirror / overmantel mirror
Origin: France
Possible alternative: Italy, especially North/Central Italy
Period: late 19th century
Dating: c. 1880–1900
Style: Louis XV Revival / Neo-Rococo
Materials: carved and gilded wood; bevelled mirrored glass
Dimensions: 97 × 124 × 8 cm

This mirror is a piece of quality clearly above average for revivalist mirrors of its time. The frame design, the depth of the carving, the very animated profile, the bevelled mirror, and the construction of the back column point to a continental European production from the late 19th century, with France as the most likely origin, though Italy remains a secondary hypothesis.

Important horizontal wall mirror, in generously carved and gilded wood, featuring a sinuous contoured frame and exuberant Rococo-inspired decoration.

The frame completely follows the scalloped profile of the mirror, developing a continuous sequence of curves, counter-curves, C and S volutes, stylized leaves and vegetal motifs.

The glass presents a particularly careful shape, following exactly the undulations of the frame, and has a wide peripheral bevel, an element that significantly enhances the presence and visual quality of the piece.

Cimasa - The upper part constitutes the main ornamental focus. In the center rises a pierced, asymmetric composition formed by large Rocaille volutes interwoven, accompanied laterally by carved flowers and foliage. The deliberate asymmetry of the flower relative to the large central scroll is very characteristic of Louis XV Rococo vocabulary. On both sides a sinuous ornamental frieze with diamond lattice or trellis is developed, framed by volutes. This trellis work is an element historically associated with the European Rococo repertoire and appears in both revival French mirrors and 18th-century English models influenced by French taste. Christie’s documents the precise use of trellis work associated with Rocaille, acanthus and volutes in 18th-century mirrors, a decoration later revived in the 19th century.

Lateral and bottom

The sides are wide, arched, and heavily striated, alternating:

- large volutes;
- stylized leaves;
- scrolls;
- small projecting extensions;
- engraved backgrounds that create contrast with the smoother gilded surfaces.

The lower crosspiece is equally lively, presenting large elongated leaves in a wavy composition and a small central cartouche of volutes.

It is important that the decoration is not concentrated only on the cimasa (crest): the entire frame has been worked, which favors the commercial quality of the piece.

Bevelled mirror - The glass is another positive element. The plate is large, cut to follow the design of the frame and deeply bevelled. This feature is typical of mirrors of some quality from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French Louis XV Revival mirrors of the period frequently use bevelled glass; there are Napoléon III documented pieces with this combination of a gilded Louis XV frame and bevelled glass.

Tardoz (backing): The rear is particularly useful for dating. It shows large horizontal wooden boards mounted directly behind the glass, with an appearance and wear coherent with an ancient construction. This type of backboard has parallels in 19th-century French mirrors. The suspension wire appears to be a later intervention, which is perfectly normal.

Condition: good for its age. On the back there is natural aging of the boards.