antique french giltwood overmantel louis revival mirror c1860 19th c 160x103cm

This is a spectacular antique French Louis Revival giltwood overmantlemirror,circa 1860 in date.

The bevelled rectangular mirror plate is framed with marginal side plates. It has a profusely carved giltwood frame decorated with acanthus leaves and features a beautiful floral, foliate androcaillecresting with out-set corners.
This beautifulmirror will enhance the look of any room.Condition:In really excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.Dimensions in cm:Height 160 x Width 103 x Depth 12Dimensions in inches:Height 5 foot, 3 inches x Width 3 foot, 5 inches x Depth 5 inches
Our reference: 09507
Mirrors are commonly used forpersonal groomingor admiring oneself (in which case thearchaic termlooking-glassis sometimes still used), decoration, and architecture.The earliest manufactured mirrors were pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass.In classical antiquity, mirrors were made of solid metal (bronze, later silver) and were too expensive for widespread use by common people; they were also prone tocorrosion. Due to the low reflectivity of polished metal, these mirrors also gave a darker image than modern ones, making them unsuitable for indoor use with the artificial lighting of the time.The method of making mirrors out ofplate glasswas invented by 16th-century Venetian glassmakers on the island ofMurano, who covered the back of the glass withmercury, obtaining near-perfect and undistorted reflection.For over one hundred years, Venetian mirrors installed in richly decorated frames served as luxury decorations for palaces throughout Europe, but the secret of the mercury process eventually arrived in London and Paris during the 17th century, due to industrial espionage. French workshops succeeded in large scale industrialization of the process, eventually making mirrors affordable to the masses.

Antiques.co.uk Ref: AQAKYBXXY

Width (cm):

103

Height (cm):

160

Depth (cm):

12

Here on antiques co uk we love antiques and specialise in selling antiques. Even though this item was for sale and is now sold or otherwise now unavailable we have many more items for sale including vintage antiques, silver, tables, watches, jewellery and much more for your interiors and home.

Search all the antiques currently for sale on www.antiques co uk. Or why not consider selling your antiques and making sales more easily with us!