Late 20th Century Wood & Gesso Parcel Gilt Newly Painted Chambray Blue Louis XVI Wall Mirror - Mario Buatta Style

Details

Description

Newly finished in our Mobile studio, this Monumental late 20th century plaster mirror in the Louis XVI style stands over … Read more Newly finished in our Mobile studio, this Monumental late 20th century plaster mirror in the Louis XVI style stands over five feet tall, crowned by a pierced floral basket crest — a woven lattice basket of blooms flanked by a crossed gardening spade and rake, wrapped in wind-swept acanthus swags above a fluted pediment with Greek key corners.

That spade and rake are worth knowing about: crossed garden tools are a classic Louis XVI “garden trophy,” born of the era’s romance with pastoral life — think Marie Antoinette’s hamlet at Versailles, where the court played at farming amid manicured beauty. It’s a rarer and more charming crest than the usual torch-and-quiver, and it’s the kind of detail that rewards a second look.

When this piece came to me, a chalky white and chipped away (last image shows the before) — I created a bespoke, multi-layered finish applied entirely by hand: fresh gesso with crackling to restore depth to the aged plaster, a hand-painted French blue-gray body built up in layers, fly speckling for authentic age, and hand-applied gold leaf placed exactly where the original artisans intended your eye to travel — tracing the basket lattice, the blooms, the leaf tips, the fluting. This is not a factory finish. It is one of one, and it cannot be repeated exactly.

At 62 inches tall and three feet wide, it anchors an entryway, crowns a mantel, or brings the drama to a dressing room or powder bath. If you’re building a Palm Beach Regency entry, a Grandmillennial bedroom, or a classic French-leaning room that needs one grand gesture, this is the piece guests will ask about.

Bespoke hand finish by Turtle and Crane Atelier, Mobile, Alabama — “Turning the past into stunning décor for today.”

** Please Note: To assist with visualization and interior design inspiration, this listing includes an AI-generated staged photograph demonstrating potential styling. This image is for illustrative purposes only. Please refer to the primary studio photo for the exact, standalone item being sold. Buyers must rely exclusively on the provided written dimensions in the listing details to determine accurate scale and fit for their space. See less