Wall mirror - Wood, Glass

Portuguese oval mirror in carved and perforated mahogany - Romantic period / taste of D. José, c. 1870–1890.

This specimen is more interesting than a simple mahogany mirror. Because of the very elongated oval shape, the richness of the carving, the large pierced cornice and the type of ornamental composition, the most appropriate attribution is Portugal, second half of the 19th century, in the so-called Romantic period, reinterpreting the Rococo/D. José vocabulary.

Object: oval wall mirror
Country: Portugal
Era: second half of the 19th century
Dating: c. 1870–1890
Style: Portuguese Romantic / Neo-Rococo, in the taste of D. José
Material: carved and pierced mahogany
Mirror: oval and beveled
Dimensions: 90 × 49 × 6 cm

Elegant elongated oval wall mirror, made in dark brown mahogany, featuring a richly carved frame and pierced carved elements.

The large oval plate is framed by a convex-profile surround, decorated with a continuous vegetal frieze, with stylized leaves and a regular succession of small circular perforations. This detail gives the frame an unusual texture and should be preserved in the description.

Along the sides appear small projecting ornaments with flowers, leaves, scrolls and bead sequences, progressively enriching the frame as it approaches the top.

Large pierced cornice. The most important element of the piece is the imposing carved and pierced cornice. The composition develops symmetrically around a large palmette or central leaf, surrounded by: acanthus leaves; large C-volutes; vegetal scrolls; pierced foliate elements; small lateral volutes; upper termination in the form of a recurved leaf. The depth of the relief and the various openings create an expressive play of light and shadow. It is precisely this cornice that brings the piece closer to Romantic Portuguese mirrors with Rococo inspiration, rather than a common English Victorian mirror.

The lower area also ends in a small symmetrical carved and pierced floral motif, formed by volutes and a hanging leaf, visually balancing the exuberance of the upper part.

Portuguese 19th-century furniture often revived 18th-century motifs: shell motifs, acanthus, volutes and pierced carving, but with greater symmetry and robustness.

The beveled glass – The oval plate features a wide peripheral bevel that follows the shape entirely. It is a positive and commercially important detail.

Condition: The frame shows signs compatible with age: small abrasions, scratches, small superficial chips and irregularities in the wood. The upper ornament shows restoration and gluing. The main carving, however, is substantially complete, including the delicate upper cornice and the lower floral boss.

The rear shows a large wooden oval plate and a rear suspension system."