Wall mirror - Wood, Glass - 124 cm

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

Object: large wall mirror / overmantel mirror
Origin: France
Possible alternative: Italy, especially Northern/Central Italy
Era: 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 the average revival mirrors in circulation. The frame design, the depth of the carving, the highly dynamic profile, the beveled mirror and the construction of the back panel point to a continental European production of the late 19th century, with France as the most likely origin, though Italy is a secondary hypothesis.

Important horizontal wall mirror, carved and gilded wood throughout, featuring a serpentine outer frame and exuberant Rococo-inspired decoration.

The frame fully follows the cut profile of the mirror, developing a continuous sequence of curves, counter-curves, C- and S-shaped volutes, stylized leaves and plant motifs.

The glass is particularly well crafted, following precisely the undulations of the frame, and has a wide peripheral bevel, a feature that significantly enhances the presence and visual quality of the piece.

Cimasa (crown) - The upper part constitutes the main ornamental focus. In the center rises a voided and asymmetric composition formed by large intertwined Rocaille volutes, flanked laterally by carved flowers and foliage. The deliberate asymmetry of the flower relative to the central swirl is very characteristic of the Louis XV Rococo vocabulary. On both sides a sinuous ornamental frieze with diamond or trellis lattice interludes, framed by volutes, develops. 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, acanthuses and volutes in 18th-century mirrors, decoration subsequently revived in the 19th century.

Sides and bottom

The sides are broad, arched and strongly striated, alternating between:
- large volutes;
- stylized leaves;
- scrolls;
- small protruding extensions;
- engraved backgrounds that create contrast with the smoother gilded surfaces.

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

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

Beveled mirror - The glass is another positive element. The panel is large, cut to the frame design and deeply beveled. This feature is typical of mirrors of reasonable quality from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French Louis XV Revival mirrors of the period frequently used beveled glass; there are Napoléon III documented examples with this combination of a gilded Louis XV frame and beveled glass.

Tardoz (backing): The back is particularly useful for dating. It shows large horizontal wooden boards mounted directly behind the glass, with a look and wear consistent with an older construction. This type of back dating 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 one notes natural aging of the boards.