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Small Italian Louis XV wall mirror from the Marche region, first half of the 18th century, carved in spruce and gilded with genuine gold leaf, retaining its original mercury mirror and the original fitting for a removable candle arm. Completely original and never restored. 35 × 68 cm.
The original fitting for a removable candle arm is still preserved within the lower pendant. The mirror and its gilded frame were designed to work together with the candle, reflecting and spreading its light throughout the room. A simple but ingenious solution from a time when every source of light had to be used to its fullest.
Among Italian antique dealers these small mirrors are often referred to as "ventoline", a traditional term that is still occasionally used today.
Carved in spruce and finished in water-gilded gold leaf, the frame is a fine example of the Italian interpretation of the Louis XV style. The flowing outline, shell motif, crest and lower pendant create an elegant composition that remains remarkably fresh almost three centuries later.
The original mercury mirror is still in place, retaining the soft veiling that naturally develops with age. The back is equally untouched, preserving the original board, the mirror fixing system and a surface patina that, to collectors of early antiques, is every bit as important as the front.
Its modest size allows it to sit comfortably above a chest of drawers, a console or between two windows. Today it is no longer bought for its practical function. It is chosen because it brings into a home something that cannot be reproduced: genuine age, authentic materials and the quiet presence that only three centuries can create. It reflects not simply a way of decorating, but a way of living with objects that have earned their place through time.
It has survived intact. For a mirror made in the first half of the eighteenth century, that is becoming an increasingly rare quality.
- Material: Carved and gilded wood
- Size: cm 35 x 68 h
- Condition: Restored
- Period: Prima metà del '700
- Style: Louis XV
- State: Good conditions
