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Lot Essay
The pier glass, embellished with acanthus foliage and husk-festoons, is conceived in the Louis Quatorze 'antique' or Roman fashion popularised by engraved ornament patterns issued around 1700 by Daniel Marot (d. 1752), 'architect' to William III. Ionic pilasters, with veil-draped capitals, support a festive triumphal-arched crest, with Flora's basket displayed on a lambrequined plinth amongst fretted ribbon-scrolls. The head-glass and mirrored frame are likewise embellished in verre glomis with golden arabesque scrolls entwined with flowers and vines on a green ground. While red and blue glass, like japanned wood furniture were popular colours, green was exceedingly rare, so it is interesting to find reference to its manufacture in the very early 18th Century: 'A large old fashioned Glass Sconce, in a Glass Frame, with Gold Flowers painted on the Glass Frame, and a Green Ground' was stolen in 1727 from the Long-Acre premises of Benjamin Goodison (d. 1767). It has been suggested that this 'Sconce' might have been executed by Goodison's former 'Master' James Moore (d. 1726), who in partnership with John Gumley had provided mirrors for the Royal residences from 1707 (The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, pp. 351 and 618).
This mirror with its arched cresting centred by a basket of flowers and its rectangular shape, relates to Swedish mirrors of the early 18th Century, for example one attributed to Gustav Precht, with giltmetal mounts and engraved glass borders, illustrated in G. Child, World Mirrors 1650-1900, London, 1990, p. 297, fig. 678. Another Swedish mirror with gilt-bronze verre glomis frame was illustrated by Partridge in their Exhibition Catalogue, London, 1992, cat. no. 18. A related Louis XIV mirror, with gilt bronze mounts and blue verre glomis borders, is illustrated in Child, op. cit., p. 183, fig. 322.
A related pair of giltwood and verre glomis mirrors was sold from the collection of the late Sir Cecil Beaton, C.B.E., Reddish House, Broadchalke, Wiltshire, Christie's house sale, 9-10 June 1980, lot 93. This pair had a crimson ground for the borders and cresting.
This mirror with its arched cresting centred by a basket of flowers and its rectangular shape, relates to Swedish mirrors of the early 18th Century, for example one attributed to Gustav Precht, with giltmetal mounts and engraved glass borders, illustrated in G. Child, World Mirrors 1650-1900, London, 1990, p. 297, fig. 678. Another Swedish mirror with gilt-bronze verre glomis frame was illustrated by Partridge in their Exhibition Catalogue, London, 1992, cat. no. 18. A related Louis XIV mirror, with gilt bronze mounts and blue verre glomis borders, is illustrated in Child, op. cit., p. 183, fig. 322.
A related pair of giltwood and verre glomis mirrors was sold from the collection of the late Sir Cecil Beaton, C.B.E., Reddish House, Broadchalke, Wiltshire, Christie's house sale, 9-10 June 1980, lot 93. This pair had a crimson ground for the borders and cresting.