1920s French Art Deco Églomisé Mirror-Topped Side Table

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Farmboy that I am, I’d never heard the word “églomisé” even after all the running around I’ve done in La … Read more Farmboy that I am, I’d never heard the word “églomisé” even after all the running around I’ve done in La Belle France. Maybe I kept the wrong company… shoemakers, for the most part.

Well, I’m here to tell you now: Verre églomisé is that process of hand-painting and applying metal leaf to the reverse side of glass to produce a beautifully textured finish. In this instance that whimsical, swish motif would have first been carved out (probably) by an acidic process.

Trés élégant, in other words, and a process that you won’t find evidence of “just anywhere.”

The swell lines of this table’s oh-so-elegant legs suggest quite strongly that it’s the work of Jules Leleu. Further bolstering that consideration is the presence of the églomisé mirror, a touch you’re only find at or near the top of the furnishings heap.

I’ve had the wood refinished by one of San Francisco’s top refinishers -- the only one, frankly, I’d trust with the task.

The mirror has had a bump or two, as the photos testify. And, there are a few shallow scratches on the surface as well as the usual spots on the silvering. Glass-topped tables only super-rarely escape such indignities over the better part of a hundred years…

In the right environment this table will delight your discerning eye and on occasion one of your guests, the sophisticated one, will notice.

Measurements: about 36 across in its totality (leg to leg); the round part which holds the glass is about 28 inches across including the wooden frame. 21 1/2 high. See less