1920s English Antique Arts & Crafts Convex Round Wall Mirror, Brass Embossed Acorns, Keswick School of Industrial Arts Style

Description

Antique Arts & Crafts Convex round wall mirror with embossed acorns, in the manner of Keswick School of Industrial Arts, … more Antique Arts & Crafts Convex round wall mirror with embossed acorns, in the manner of Keswick School of Industrial Arts, 1920`s ca, English.

This antique mirror has been gently cleaned while preserving the aged patina. It is ready to hang.

While this mirror is unmarked, it could be the work of the Keswick School of Industrial Arts because of the style & handmade features. It exemplifies the ideals & techniques of the Arts & Crafts Movement: the frame covered with embossed brass.

With its delicate proportions it would sit sweetly over a mantle, sideboard, chest of drawers, in a cloakroom, or by the front door. The decorative design combined with the use of golden metal, make this mirror well suited for a range of interiors such as Art Deco, Antique, Hollywood Regency, Traditional, Country, Contemporary or Industrial.

In Art & History, the acorn symbolizes good fortune, prosperity and youthfulness. The acorn was a popular decorative motif in Greek and Roman cultures, used to represent fertility and the possibility of creating new life, as the acorn is a small and unassuming seed holding within the potential for great growth and prosperity.

The quality convex silver mirror insert is original to the piece and securely held in place behind the frame. It is fully reflective.

The round brass frame has interesting & unique decorations, all handmade. There is an embossed foliate decoration of acorns & oak tree leaves linked together as a garland creating depth & texture . The background has the traditional hammered effect, in this case embossed from the back. The outer edges of the frame are trimmed with a pressed rope-like pattern. The external trim is flat & simple, emphasizing the round shape. The age patina developed over the years has given to this piece a rich gold tone & lots of character.

The brass sheet continues along the sides to the backside. On the reverse there is the original antique solid wood backplate.

To hang the mirror on the wall there is the original antique chain which is attached to two metal plates with a ring, each screwed to the back wooden plate.

This antique wall mirror is in very good condition for its age. The antique patina has been preserved. The brass frame is sound with no missing parts or cracks. The brass surfaces have the original clear lacquer present & a rich attractive antique warm patina with minor superficial marks. The original mirror surface is in good condition with no cracks or chips and only some areas of light foxing, which are uniform & reflective; all in line with age & wear.

Additional dimensions:

The total external dimensions are: Diameter: 36 cm, Depth: 2.5 cm.

The diameter of the silver mirror surface is: 25 cm

Packing is offered free of charge. We take special professional care with packing. For safe transport the mirror will be wrapped in bubble wrap, foam and an outer layer of card. It would then easily fit into a box with loose fill packing suitable for posting with a courier. We ship with reliable couriers (signed for, tracked & insured).

ARTS & CRAFTS MOVEMENT IN BRITAIN HISTORY

The Arts & Craft Movement took its name from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, a group founded in London in 1887.

The late 19th Century marked the beginning of a change in the value society placed on how things were made. This was a reaction to not only the damaging effects of industrialization but also the relatively low status of the decorative arts. Arts and Crafts reformed the design and manufacture of everything from buildings to jewellery. The Arts and Crafts leaders wanted to develop products that not only had more integrity but which were also made in a less `dehumanising` way.

The movement was influenced by art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900), whose work had suggested a link between a nation`s social health and the way in which its goods were produced. Ruskin expressed: "Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together".

The Keswick School of Industrial Art (KSIA) was founded in 1884 by Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley and his wife Edith as an evening class in woodwork and repoussé metalwork at the Crosthwaite Parish Rooms, in Keswick, Cumbria. The enterprise, designed to alleviate unemployment, prospered, and within ten years more than a hundred men were attending classes. A new building was erected for the school at a nearby site. The school closed in 1984. less