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This mirror was made in the Marche region of Italy and was never intended to hang on a wall. It was designed to stand on a dressing table, supported and angled by its original folding easel, which still survives today. In the eighteenth century, toilette did not mean a bathroom, but the daily ritual of personal grooming. Having a dedicated dressing table and a mirror like this was a privilege enjoyed by only a limited number of households.
Its carving is unmistakably Rococo: rich, light and full of movement without ever becoming excessive. The limewood favoured by eighteenth-century woodcarvers allowed exceptionally crisp detail and a delicacy that is still striking when viewed up close.
The gilding tells just as much about the quality of the work. The outer and inner mouldings are finished in water gilding, polished with an agate stone to achieve a brilliant reflective surface. The recessed carved areas are decorated with matte gilding, slightly softer and lighter in tone. The combination of these two techniques gives depth to the carving and allows the mirror to change character naturally as the light moves across its surface.
Over time, the gold leaf has worn gently on the most exposed edges while remaining richer in the deeper carvings. It is one of those details that a conservator notices immediately, and one of the clearest signs of an authentic period gilding.
The original folding support also tells its own story. It allowed the mirror to be adjusted according to the light in the room or the position of the person using it. Before it became an antique, it was simply a beautifully made object designed to serve a daily purpose.
Today it continues to do exactly what it was made for. Placed on a chest of drawers, a console or a contemporary dressing table, it immediately changes the atmosphere of that part of the room.
A mirror reflects the person standing before it. A dressing table mirror like this ends up reflecting the character of the home it belongs to.
- Material: Carved limewood, gilded with gold leaf
- Size: Cm 44 x 70 (h)
- Condition: Restored
- Period: Seconda metà del '700
- Style: Rococò
- State: Optimal conditions
