Pair of Antique Italian Neoclassical Carved & Painted Mirrors With Gilt Accents

Details

Description

A pair of Italian neoclassical painted mirrors, each crowned with a basket overflowing with foliage, its leafy garlands sweeping down … Read more A pair of Italian neoclassical painted mirrors, each crowned with a basket overflowing with foliage, its leafy garlands sweeping down to either side. Tasseled drops frame the upper corners, and a soft sage green frame is lined with a gilt beaded molding that catches the light around the aged mirror glass. The gilding has mellowed to a beautiful silvery gold patina, giving the ornament the gentle depth that only age can bring.
The basket of flowers was a beloved neoclassical emblem of abundance and good fortune, and Italian artisans embraced the motif with a lightness and charm all their own. The ornament is fashioned from molded cardboard, a traditional technique that allowed craftsmen to create richly detailed decoration with remarkable delicacy and little weight, then finish it with paint and gilt to rival carved wood.
Hung side by side above a console or flanking a doorway, bed, or fireplace, the pair brings symmetry and a quiet European elegance to a room. Their slender proportions suit a narrow wall, a hallway, or a powder room, and the muted green palette blends beautifully with both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Circa early 1900s
Sold as a Pair.
Each measures 32H x 13.5W x 1.5D
Available at Inessa Stewart's Antiques, Dallas Design District, Dallas, Texas. See less