Wall mirror - Wood, Glass

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

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

Portuguese wall mirror of vertical format, featuring a rectangular carved and gilded wooden frame, topped by an elaborate rococo-inspired cresting.

The frame itself is relatively narrow and architectural, consisting of successive stepped moldings that enclose a rectangular mirror plate. The contrast between the frame's simplicity and the ornamental concentration at the top is typical of many 19th-century Portuguese historicist mirrors.

The surface preserves significant traces of the old gilding, now worn, revealing in many spots a brown-reddish undertone. This aspect is particularly interesting: it seems to be the ground/preparation on which the gilding was applied, and not simply a recent brown paint.

Cresting - The upper part is clearly the most important element. At the center appears a large carved composition formed by: acanthus leaves or palmettes; central upper volute; large symmetrical scrolls; lateral C-scrolls; stylized botanical elements; small scrolls at the extremities.

The decoration is quite robust, symmetrical, and architectural. It is not the extremely asymmetrical French Rococo of the 18th century; it is rather a nineteenth-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 fairly simple old wooden structure, without apparent modern materials, with a large back panel and visible cresting from the reverse. The metal wire for suspension is clearly later and does not interfere with 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 cresting is essentially complete, which is important.