Large Antique French Monumental Gold Leaf Gilt Mirror, 1890

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Antique late 19th century French monumental mirror with gilt gold leaf. This monumental large gilt mirror with gold leaf was … Read more Antique late 19th century French monumental mirror with gilt gold leaf. This monumental large gilt mirror with gold leaf was made in France at the end of the 19th century, around 1890. It has the rounded top corners typical of Louis Philippe style mirrors. The piece was elaborately decorated with fruit, flowers, leaves, acanthus, and C-shaped scrollwork ornaments. It was made entirely by hand in the late 19th century and earlier these pieces were manufactured on a more industrial scale, including the use of ornaments of plaster. The mirror has a frame made of solid wood smoothed with plaster. The ornaments were made of a mixture of plaster and ground cattle bone with leather glue. The ornaments were reinforced with steel mesh. Mirrors made a few decades later were smoothed with plaster, and ornaments were molded in with chalk. This was a method of working that required less time and was much easier. The ornaments have many small cracks all over the surface. This is inherent in the material and is not damaged or weakened by it. The mirror is completely gilded with gold leaf and patinated. The quality of the gilding is exceptional and in very good authentic condition. The mirror plate is the genuine mercury plated mirror plate and shows wear. The mirror plate is in very good condition given its age. The mirror plate has a decorative central garland. Minor repairs to the bottom of the frame. The mirror is clean, sound, undamaged, and ready to use. A truly spectacular piece, a full length mirror in aged gold of the highest quality, very rare and unique. See less