CIRCA 1700

Details

A GERMAN RED AND GOLD VERRE EGLOMISE MIRROR
CIRCA 1700
The rectangular plate in a faceted bevelled surround, the verre eglomisé frame decorated with scrolling foliage, putti and dragons in gold and red and applied with roundels of spread eagles and vases of flowers, inscribed to reverse 14516 A00 I00, one arabesque border plate, the upper centre roundel and the central plate possibly replaced
44 in. (112 cm.) high; 37 in. (94 cm.) wide

Special notice

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Lot Essay

The technique of verre eglomisé, decorating glass with engraved gold and silver leaf on the reverse, was developed in antiquity. However, it was the French frame-maker Jean Baptiste Glomy (d.1786) who popularised the methods and after whom it was named. The fashion spread through Europe, notably Germany, Austria and of course Venice, but due to the delicate nature of the decoration relatively few examples survive in good condition. Count Lothar Franz von Schönborn established a mirror manufactory in Lohr, Bavaria, in 1698 and a red and gold verre eglomisé mirror of related character, bearing the arms of Count Schönborn of Austria as granted on 5 August 1701 by Emperor Leopold I was offered at Christie's, London, 10 June 2004, lot 195.

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