MIRRORS  wall and pier, including girandoles

The Victorians were rather fond of somewhat florid mirrors and over-mantels, mostly made by building up gesso or plaster on a wood frame and subsequently gilding the surface. Some carved wood mirrors were made as well and these are, obviously, the most expensive type. Overmantels of the very large type are now difficult to place and require large walls with high ceilings, but the oval and circular wall mirrors, or girandoles, are being re-appreciated now that it is possible to touch up the faded or discoloured gilding with one of the many proprietary types of gold waxes and paints available for the purpose.
‘Girandoles’ from Shoolbred’s catalogue of 1876. The decoration is made of plaster, subsequently treated with gesso and gilded. Until comparatively recently these ornate pieces were considered somewhat vulgar but prices have been mounting steadily in the last few years.
A small Victorian gilt circular mirror or girandole of a type illustrated by Shoolbred and other furnishers in catalogues of the 1870s and 1880s. Based on rococo designs and ‘naturalistic’ motifs. Made of plaster on a
wooden frame and about two feet (60 cm) in diameter.
An oval gilt mirror of the gesso and plaster type with 18th century rococo styling. Mirrors of this type appear to have been popular in the later 19th century, when many reproductions of 18th century types were featured
in furnishers’ catalogues
A really ornate rococo mirror with great depth to the frame which is surmounted by a cherub figure of Cupid, holding a bow. The depth is remarkable and the shape of the oval mirror is elegant. 1900-1920
A carved rococo mirror, with scroll and leaf forms, which is again an imitation of an eighteenth century style.
Early 20th century
A rococo oval wall mirror in emulation of mid-18th century carved mirrors incorporating similar birds and decoration. Made of giltwood and plaster. Very decorative and of good quality. 1900-1925
An oval gilded mirror of ‘Empire’ design with seated griffins on either side of a classical urn with Olympic torch as a decorative cresting. The solid frame to the bevelled mirror has gilded edges and gilded classical motifs on a painted background.
A carved oval mahogany mirror frame with bevelled-edge mirror. The scrolled carving is slightly coarse and the shape a little too elongated for elegance. It is a Victorian or Edwardian oval, not an 18th century one.
A straightforward ‘picture frame’ mirror in which a mirror has been fitted into a moulded gesso picture frame with a gilded finish. It is now very popular to fit mirrors into pine frames, obtained by stripping the gesso off
frames such as this.
A reproduction of a Georgian mahogany wall mirror with carved gilded cresting rail with a gilded bird. A good imitation of an 18th century piece.
Early 20th century
Walnut wall mirrors, of early 18th century design, from a manufacturer’s catalogue of the 1920s. They have bevelled plate mirrors but not the gilded inner moulding to the frame which is an adjunct to value. 1910-1930
Reproductions of early 18th and late 17th century wall mirrors. The left-hand two mirrors are walnut-framed versions of simple Queen Anne styles, whilst the two on the right, with their deep ‘cushion’ moulded surfaces around the mirror and shaped cresting boards, are more sophisticated reproductions of walnut-veneered and moulded ‘cushion’ mirrors of the 1680-1720 period.
Early 20th century
MIRRORS  cheval
A satinwood cheval glass in the highest ‘Edwardian Sheraton’ manner, with its accompanying dressing table and (separate) dressing mirrors. The decoration is painted and gilded with classical motifs in the French
Empire manner, and the whole effect is one of great elegance.
A walnut `cheval’ mirror in the ‘Queen Anne’ style. Actually cheval mirrors date back to the start of the 18th century, but to find an original one like this would be a very rare event. Mirrors of this type can be safely
recognised as reproductions. 1910-1930
MIRRORS  dressing
A circular dressing mirror on a segmented pumpkin-style base. Similar designs occur in Smee’s catalogue of 1850 and as far back as King’s of 1830. 1840-1865
A typical mahogany dressing mirror of a design made from 1845 until the 1880s. The scrolled supports and rather heavy flat base with semi-circular plinths at each end are characteristic. 1850-1890
Three typical early 19th century designs of dressing mirrors made in the early 20th century. The central mirror is a shield-shaped ‘Hepplewhite’ design which has been much reproduced; it has three small drawers in the serpentine-fronted base. 1910-1930
Central mirror
Three more reproduction mirrors, copying early 19th century designs, of a very popular type.

MIRRORS  wall, and pier glasses
The wall mirrors of the walnut period were mounted in a rectangular frame of deal, with a convex section which was veneered in walnut and embellished with parquetry or marquetry if required.
With the influence of architects (and particularly William Kent) on furnishings in the 1715-1740 period, the wall mirror became the object of architectural treatment. There were essentially two sorts of mirrors in a room  an overmantel mirror above the fireplace, and pier glasses on the pier walls between windows, hung over pier tables. The overmantels tended to be given the full treatment  pediments, etc. etc., and are rather outside the scope of the normal collector. However the narrow pier glasses can be used in the modern house and are quite charming.
The original Vauxhall glass was rather thin and had a very shallow bevel. Where the glass was very long it had to be made in two pieces. Gesso was often used for the gilt versions and was useful for less important
frames where the cost of carving was high.
From about 1745 a lighter form was used in rather rococo style and the Adam and Chippendale designs reflect this. Later on the convex mirror became popular with its gilt balls and surmounting eagle.
At the turn of the eighteenth century mirror decoration was rather French Empire in style  neo-classical. As the century progressed, manufacturers made large overmantels and smaller girandoles in plaster which
emulated rococo or exuberant French styles.
Value Points:
Carved wood frame
Original glass in good/fair condition
Original gilding
Condition of plaster or gesso  frames are expensive to repair.
A walnut cushion’ mirror with convex frame inlaid with seaweed marquetry. The mouldings are in cross-grained walnut and there is a large cresting with a fret-cut border of seaweed type enclosing a panel of
more marquetry. The glass looks like a replacement. The cresting is often missing, in which case the price is less than half. 1680-1700
A pier glass in gilt with the shallow bevel of the original Vauxhall glass clearly evident.
More architectural pier glass with broken pediment, made in two pieces of bevelled glass. The frame is gilt.
1700-1720

A wall mirror in a carved gilt frame, in the rococo style. 1740-1750

Still very
architectural  gilt frame similar to designs of William Jones in 1739.
Heavy architectural pier glass in the William Kent manner.
A carved and gilt gesso glass with Prince of Wales feathers decoration above and shell below.
A mahogany framed mirror with fret-cut cresting and baseboards.
A mahogany and gilt frame with carved pediments.
1740-1750
A mahogany and gilt mirror which shows the transition from the grandness of 565 to the relative simplicity of 567. The carved and gilded basket of flowers, together with flower and leaf down the sides, add to value.
c. 1745
A Chinese rococo mirror in the Chippendale manner. The larger sizes are more valuable.
1750-1760
A rococo Chippendale oval giltwood mirror with foliage, C scrolls and urns. Again size important.
A convex gilt mirror surmounted by an eagle, of a type reproduced for over one hundred years.
1790-1820

An unusual mantel mirror in the Chinese rococo manner with scroll, leaf, branch and ornithological decoration  birds were always popular.
c. 1760
An oval gilt wall mirror surmounted by a vase and scroll pediment.
A nineteenth century mirror with pillar decoration.
Early 19th century
A nineteenth century pier glass with an eagle surmounting it and copious decoration  two female busts, two birds, flowers, scrolls and acanthus leaves. In the style of Thomas Johnson (1760) but a later
reproduction.