Antique French Louis Philippe Arch Top Giltwood Mirror With Character, C. 1840

Description

A striking circa 1840 French Louis Philippe arch top giltwood mirror with absolutely fantastic antique character.

Hand-carved giltwood frame in … more A striking circa 1840 French Louis Philippe arch top giltwood mirror with absolutely fantastic antique character.

Hand-carved giltwood frame in the simplified style that’s synonymous with the Louis Philippe period, which was a reaction to the opulent decadence of Louis XIV through XVI. Features rounded corners, a three-track design with prominent convex center between smoothly sculpted concave borders, and a much less commonly seen arched top.

Very handsome and uniformly worn finish over a thin plaster layer is notable for its naturally acquired antique character throughout. Gold leaf reveals hints of the underlying brick-red bole, with black, brown, and olive layers of lacquer, paint, and other elements adding to the complex and difficult to replicate authentically aged patina.

Original mirror’s reflective days are mostly behind it, with losses to the tin-mercury amalgam dominating the upper half, and the remaining upper and lower portions appearing darkened, hazy, and textured.

Thin wood back panel has some splits from age, as well as a few open knotholes. It’s otherwise structurally sound and secure, with black tape applied by a previous owner only to prevent light leakage from being visible from the front.

The overall condition of this nearly 200-year-old looking glass only serves to enhance its enchanting air of brooding mystery. It evokes a very specific and intriguing mood that its more common gleamingly-gilded contemporaries—as well as its more contemporary faux-aged imitators—could never hope to match.

Gaze into it intently, and you just might catch a glimpse of a ghostly, fleeting reflection of one of the many dark secrets that it keeps... less