Mid-20th Century Italian Faux Bois Framed Mirror

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The Italians have always had a rather wonderful habit of taking something humble and making it thoroughly theatrical. Even a … Read more The Italians have always had a rather wonderful habit of taking something humble and making it thoroughly theatrical. Even a handful of twigs, it seems, could become an occasion for artistic expression.

This charming mid-20th-century Italian mirror draws on the centuries-old tradition of faux bois, the art of imitating wood in another material. Particularly fashionable in 19th-century European gardens, faux bois was traditionally fashioned from cement, transforming ordinary garden furniture and ornaments into wonderfully convincing imitations of branches, roots, and tree trunks.

Here, the illusion is reversed. The frame is actually carved from wood, its knotted branches and irregular contours finished in a weathered gray meant to resemble aged cement. The effect is wonderfully sculptural, with just enough eccentricity to keep things interesting.

A little woodland fantasy, a little Italian mischief, and a rather sophisticated sense of humor. Nature, naturally, never looked quite so well dressed. See less