Dutch parquetry and walnut Games Table, Italian Roman carved and gilt Stool, George III satinwood Knife Box

A French-style boucle and ebonized Meoble dapped, circa 1860, with gilt-metal mounts, the break-front with an oval paneled door, the bowed wings with a pair of doors enclosing a

velvet-lined and shelved interior, on a plinth base, wing door lacking glazed panel, 102cm. high by 183cm. wide; 3ft. 4in.

A pair of Louis XV-style Berger’s,
circa 1900, with ivory painted and
parcel-gilt frames carved with pattered,
upholstered in individual fancy, the
bowed seats with cushions, on cabriole
legs.

A Dutch parquetry and walnut
Games Table, circa 1790, the fold-over
top with projecting corners and
revealing a chessboard and playing-card
motifs, the shaped frieze above slender
square cabriole legs, 75cm. wide;
2ft. 52in.

A Louis XV walnut Fauteuil Frame, circa 1750, with pattered cresting rail and bowed apron, on cabriole legs, lacking upholstery.

A French kingwood and parquetry Suite, circa 1890, inlaid with masks and arabesques, comprising: a set of eight spoon-back chairs, including two armchairs, with vase-shaped

splats and button upholstered bowed seats, on turned and fluted tapering legs; together with a Card Table, with projecting rounded corners and gilt-metal mounts, the turned and

fluted tapering legs joined by an ‘X’-shaped stretcher.

An Italian Roman carved and gilt Stool, circa 1740, with stuffed rectangular seat, the ornate scroll supports with masks and stretcher, 76cm. wide.

A Dutch mahogany Offal tailed, circa 1800, with chevron stringing and canted corners, the hinged cover with a den tilled frieze and revealing two folding tiers, the sides with

slides, the two drawers above a pair of doors, on tapered square feet, 102cm. wide;
3ft. 4in.

A Florentine-carved gilt wood-
framed Wall Mirror, circa 1760, the
pierced foliate scroll surround with
cherub heads, the rectangular plate with
a molded border, faults, 66cm. high by
46cm. wide; 2ft. 2in. by  6in.

A French mahogany Commode, circa 1840, with fluted terminals and a marble top above four long drawers and a plinth base with block feet, 97cm. high by 100cm. wide; 3ft. 2in. by

3ft. 3in.

TEA CADDIES, WRITING BOXES, etc.

A George III satinwood Knife Box, circa 1790, with chevron-strung borders, the hinged cover revealing a star medallion and cutlery apertures, 23cm. wide; 9in.

A George III mahogany Knife Box, circa 1790, with chevron banding, the hinged cover revealing cruder divisions, 22cm. wide; 83Mn.

A Regency satinwood Tea Caddy, circa 1810, of sarcophagus form, with chevron banding, the hinged cover revealing a pair of lidded divisions and an aperture, on bun feet, 30cm.

wide;

A Danish painted pine Casket,
circa 1770, with hinged cover and
chamfered corners, the frieze with name
and date 1880, 46cm. wide;  6in.

An Edwardian mahogany Tantalus, circa 1910, inlaid with satinwood fan medallions and stringing, the hinged cover and fall-front revealing a mirror, three square glass decanters

and stoppers, cribbage board and drawers, with carrying handles and bearing brass presentation plaque, 35cm. wide.

A George III mahogany Cheese Coaster, circa 1790, with nag turned handles and castors, 46cm. wide;  6m.

A French kingwood parquetry Jardiniere, circa 1870, of serpentine form, with gilt-metal mounts and liner, 34cm. wide.

An Indian sandalwood and mosaic work Jeweler Box, circa 1825, with ivory stringing, with fan medallion hinged cover revealing a velvet-lined interior with tray, 30.5cm. wide;

A William IV mahogany and
brass-bound Writing Box, circa 1835,
the hinged cover revealing a lined
writing slope, a pair of inkwells, pen tray
and a pair of compartments, the Base
with a drawer, 46cm. wide;  6in.

A Victorian walnut Desk Stand,
circa 1860, the raised back with a hinged
stationery compartment, the pair of glass
inkwells flanking a pen tray, with a
drawer and turned feet, 30.5cm. wide;

A George III yew-wood Tea Caddy, circa 1790, of elongated octagonal form, with kingwood banding and stringing, restored, 15cm. wide; 6in.

A George III satinwood Tea Caddy, circa 1790, with kingwood banding and stringing, 15cm. wide; 6in.

A George III satinwood oval Tea Caddy, circa 1790, with inlaid medallion and kingwood banding, the hinged cover revealing a lidded compartment.

A Victorian mahogany and
brass-bound Writing Box, circa 1840,
the hinged cover revealing an inset, pen tray an compartments, the base with a drawer, 46cm. wide;  6in

A Victorian miniature walnut
Chest, circa 1840, with satinwood and
mosaic parquetry banding, the four
drawers with lozenge medallions, the
plinth base with turned finials, 48cm.
high by 41cm. wide;  7in. by  4in.

English, French and Italian Toilet Mirrors

The antique toilet mirror, or dressing glass was introduced in England after 1700 and was fairly rare up to about 1740. Early examples, like that shown above, had a shaped mirror similar to wall mirrors, frequently with a gilt edging around the bevelled glass. The uprights could be turned or straight and the mirror could be tilted by a screw action. Under the mirror was either a shaped box made of deal and veneered in walnut, with tiered small drawers, or a miniature bureau with a fall, also veneered in walnut or possibly of a jappaned type like that above of c.1710 date. They are very charming miniature pieces with all the characteristics of larger furniture as far as mouldings, matched veneers and shaping is concerned. Price Range: Japanned and Walnut.
A mahogany French toilet mirror of c.1750 with a rectangular mirror, having a shaped moulding  or inward point  at the top corners similar to wall mirrors of the period. The supports are straight and tapering with turned finials at the top and there is a gilt surround to the glass. The top of the base shows an ovolo edge moulding and the drawer fronts are concave. The whole mirror stands on ogee bracket feet. Note that the key plate of the centre drawer is a replacement but that there is no pull, whereas the outer drawers each have a small pull or drop handle. This is a normal characteristic of these toilet mirrors. Usually the base box is made of pine with mahogany veneer on the outer surfaces.
When there is no box of drawers beneath the English toilet mirror, it is known as a cheval glass, as above. This example of c.1750 again has straight tapering uprights with turned brass finials at the top. Note that the mirror’s top corners are a simple curve in this case, without the inward point of the preceding example and that there is no gilt edging.
A plain Italian rectangular mahogany cheval glass of c.1780 veneered across the mirror frame with a boxwood stringing line around it. The square tapering uprights have no finials and it is probable that these were originally  fitted and have been lost. Good reproduction replacements are easily obtained. Where the uprights are square, the cross stretcher on the base, between them, also follows this shape.
An oval mahogany ‘Hepplewhite’ toilet mirror of a type which, with the shield back, has been much reproduced. This one is of c.1785 date and has a mirror frame faced with cross-banded mahogany. The box stand is veneered in figured mahogany and has a serpentine front as well as cross banding around the top. The feet are of the ogee bracket type. The drawers are edged with boxwood stringing and the inset keyhole and outer drawer knobs are ivory. The drawer linings are thin oak. This shape and the shield shape, deriving from chair back shapes of the period, are the most popular of late Georgian toilet mirror purchasers
Serpentine front
Figured woods and inlays
A rectangular French mahogany toilet mirror of c.1780 with reeded uprights ending in turned finials. The mirror frame is cross-banded with mahogany veneer and has a boxwood stringing line inlaid around the edge. The front of the box is slightly bowed and has the same boxwood stringing line around it, as have the drawers. The bracket feet are of a fairly sophisticated shape associated with the later eighteenth century.
A later Georgian mahogany toilet mirror of c.1810 with turned uprights to the rectangular mirror. The turning shows the double-beaded or `bamboo-ed’ effect beloved to the period. The front is bowed in a later shape from that originally introduced c.1780 and the ivory inlaid keyhole has been replaced later, due to damage, by another wood. Although the box carcase remains deal, the drawer linings are mahogany of a plain grain.
The veneers are highly figured and there is a dark stringing line around the drawers and top edge. The frame is again cross-veneered in mahogany and the mirror stands on ball feet.
Value points: Figured woods and inlays
N.B. It is interesting to note that turned uprights are not popular in the trade. Many a quick transition to square uprights has been made in order to enhance price.

Early XVIII Century mirrors

At the end of the 17th century, a mirror about 1m x 90cm (40in x 36in) would have cost the equivalent of 20,000 in today’s currency. The earliest mirrors were handheld, but by the 18th century, the mirror had become an essential part of the fashionable home.
ENGLISH GILDED EASEL MIRROR
This mirror was designed to be placed on a table. Mirror backs were often covered with softwood, to protect the glass and metal from being oxidised by the light. c.1725.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MIRROR IN EUROPE
Mirrors have been used for thousands of years. They were believed to foretell the future and to bring bad luck, especially when broken. Many people thought that to see your reflection was to see your soul, and for years the Church was against the use of mirrors.
The earliest known mirror was made of bronze, and ancient civilizations also used silver, gold, tin, steel, obsidian (volcanic glass), and rock crystal. Curved glass mirrors, made by cutting a sphere in two, were produced during the Middle Ages, but it was not until the 15th century that it was possible to create flat, colourless glass, known as “crystallo”. This technique created relatively small pieces of glass.
VENETIAN GLASSMAKERS MAKING MIRRORS
Crystallo, or crystalline glass, and blown glass were developed in Venice. The Venetian workshops were the only places producing glass mirrors before the mid 17th century The commercial importance of this discovery prompted the Venetian authorities to forbid glassmakers to move from their headquarters on the island of Murano on pain of death.
Foliage motifs
DEVELOPMENTS OF MIRRORS IN EUROPE
Although some Venetian glassmakers were seduced into setting up workshops, principally in Germany and the Low Countries, it was not until around 1663 that Murano’s supremacy was challenged. Louis XIV of France established a glassworks at Tourlaville, while in England, a glassworks was set up at Vauxhall to produce mirrors for the court of Charles II.
At the end of the 17th century, Bernard Perrot, working at Tourlaville, developed the casting method, which made it possible to create larger sheets of glass.
The glass was translucent but not transparent, as minerals in the sand affected the result. Artisans cut, ground, engraved, polished, and silvered the glass, using mercury to produce a reflective surface. In 1835, real silver was used for the first time, relieving the makers of the hazards of mercury poisoning.
Female masks
Marble fire surround
GEORGE II CHIMNEY PIECE MIRROR
This giltwood mirror, attributed to Matthias Lock, has
an elaborately carved frame with Rococo details of fruit,
leaves, birds, scrolls, and Chinoiserie elements. c 1755.
CHANGING FASHIONS
The production of larger sheets of glass enabled mirrors to become the focal point of the room, and to reflect light around what were previously very dark homes. The Salle des Glaces at the Palace of Versailles (see p.34) must have made a powerful
impact on those who had never seen anything other than a small hand mirror.
In England, 1700-40 marked a golden age of mirror production while the 20 per cent tax on mirrors was temporarily abolished. Large mirrors were designed to be placed over the mantelpiece, and long pier glasses were made, often in pairs, to fit between windows in grand houses. Fashionable country homes were furnished with fine mirrors. In 1703, John Gumley produced 3m-high (10ft) mirrors decorated with blue glass for Chatsworth.
From about 1725, English design was inspired by Palladian architecture (see p.96), often mirroring architectural details of the house in the frame. Oval mirrors were also very popular.
FRAME DESIGN
Due to their size and the versatility of frame carving, mirrors were among the first household objects to reflect fashion. At the turn of the 18th century, lacquer panels or japanning were sought after. Later, fashion favoured elaborately carved Rococo frames, including asymmetrical mirrors with Chinoiserie, C-scrolls, and foliage.
KEY DATES
20th century BC: Hand-held polished bronze mirror. 6th century: Etruscan hand mirror.
1291: Venetian Republic requires glassworkers to move to the island of Murano.
1448: Term “crystalline glass” appears in the inventory of Rene d’Anjou.
1571-92: Venetian craftsman, Jacopo Verzelini, sets up glassworks in the City of London.
1612: L’Arte Vietraria, by Antonio Neri, about the processes of glassmaking, published in Florence.
1618: Sir Robert Mansell obtains patent to set up a London glasshouse employing Venetian glassmakers.
1665: Nicholas du Noyer sets up a glass house employing 200 workers in Paris.
C.1670: Bernard Perrot invents casting technique, making it possible to create larger sheets of glass.
1676: George Ravenscroft invents lead crystal glass by adding lead oxide to glass.
1678: Patent granted to John Roberts’ “invention of grinding, polishing and diamonding glass plates for looking glasses… by the motion of water and wheels.”
1719: Real Fabrica de Coina, probably Portugal’s first mirror factory, established by John Beare.
MIRROR BOX
This stunning box mirror has a number of
architectural elements, including the broken
pediment and the two marble columns flanking
the mirror plate. The piece is inlaid with
precious stones. This mirror was once owned
by Marie de Medici.
CARVED, GILDED GIRANDOLE
This is one of a pair of fine giltwood girandoles after a design by Thomas Johnson, published in 1758. The gilding and candles helped to reflect more light around a room. c,1760.
VENETIAN OVAL MIRROR
This oval-shaped glass is typical of Italian design and uses etched and applied glass to frame the central oval mirror. Its Venetian origin would have made it highly covetable. Whole teams of artisans were needed to create mirrors like this.