Wall mirror - Wood, Glass

Portuguese carved and gilded wooden wall mirror - D. José/Rococo Revival style, c. 1850–1880.

Object: wall mirror
Likely country: Portugal
Era: 19th century
Dating: c. 1850–1880
Style: D. José Revival / Portuguese Rococo-Baroque
Material: carved, prepared and gilded wood
Dimensions: 71 × 42 × 3 cm

Portuguese vertical wall mirror, with a rectangular, carved and gilded wooden frame, topped by an elaborated Rococo-inspired pediment.

The frame itself is relatively narrow and architectural, composed of successive stepped mouldings that enclose a rectangular mirror plate. The contrast between the frame’s simplicity and the ornamental concentration in the upper part is typical of many 19th-century Portuguese historicist mirrors.

The surface retains important traces of the old gilding, now worn, revealing in many spots a brownish-reddish undertone. This aspect is particularly interesting: it seems to be the ground/prepare­ation on which the gilding was executed, and not merely a recent brown paint.

Pediment - The upper part is clearly the most important element. In the center appears a large carved composition made up of: acanthus leaves or palmettes; a central upper volute; large symmetrical scrolls; lateral C-scrolls; stylised vegetal elements; small scrolls at the ends.

The decoration is quite robust, symmetrical and architectural. It is not the extremely asymmetrical French Rococo of the 18th century; rather, it is a 19th‑century interpretation of the D. José/Louis XV vocabulary.

Gilding and patina - In this case, wear is an important part of the piece’s appearance.

Back and construction - The rear is interesting because it shows a very simple old wooden structure, without apparent modern materials, with a large back panel and a visible pediment from the reverse. The wire for hanging is clearly later and does not interfere with the dating.

The construction reinforces that this is not a recent reproduction.

Condition: The condition is good considering its age, with wear to the gilding. On the other hand, the pediment is essentially complete, which is important.