Antique Mirrors: Antique Wall & Overmantel Mirrors
A wide and varied selection of Antique Wall Mirrors, Fireplace Overmantel Mirrors and Period Giltwood and carved Mirrors.
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Stock: 11857
A tall Louis XVI overmantel mirror in gilded pine and gesso, the main floral cartouche complemented with gadrooned detail either side along the top rail, floral scrolls set into the scalloped top corners, with acanthus leaf detail descending on both sides of the orginal glass plate, Image before restoration. French, mid 19th century.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
| External |
52"
132 cms |
78 11⁄16"
200 cms |
2 13⁄16"
7 cms |
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Stock: 12611
A Louis XVI style gilt brass mirror over a matching small console table with marble top. 20th century.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
| Console table |
28"
71.1 cms |
31 1⁄2"
80 cms |
9 13⁄16"
25 cms |
| Mirror |
18 1⁄8"
46 cms |
36"
91.5 cms |
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Stock: 12313
An impressive large marble overmantel mirror rescued from the old Baltic Exchange in London. Carved in the Palladian manner in veined white marble with pink figuring it has a high broken pediment with scrolled brackets set above a shield emblematic of the maritime history of The Exchange. The carved egg and dart mirror frame is flanked by scrolled consoles. English, circa 1900.
Provenance: The Baltic Exchange, a membership organisation for the maritime industry, was located at 24–28 St Mary Axe, London, until that building was destroyed by a bomb in 1992, and is now located at 38 St Mary Axe. The historic building was designed by Smith and Wimble, and completed by George Trollope & Sons in 1903 and was subsequently listed as a Grade II* listed building. It was. The "Gherkin" now occupies the original site.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
| External |
53"
134.5 cms |
78 1⁄4"
199 cms |
7 1⁄4"
18.5 cms |
| Internal |
33 7⁄8"
86 cms |
51 3⁄16"
130 cms |
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Stock: 11942
A carved mahogany overmantle mirror with egg & dart and acanthus detail, reeded tapering columns wit florally carved capitals and baluster bases, supported on either side by large scrolled carved brackets.The original bevelled glass mirror plate is in good condition.
Victorian, circa 1900.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
| Overall |
61"
155 cms |
38 5⁄8"
98 cms |
10"
25.5 cms |
| glass |
38 5⁄8"
98 cms |
23 13⁄16"
60.5 cms |
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Stock: 11719
A carved giltwood English Rococo mirror with later antiqued " foxed " glass plate. In good, sound condition before revival of the original water gilding. Late 19th century.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
| External |
33 11⁄16"
85.5 cms |
67 1⁄4"
171 cms |
3 1⁄2"
9 cms |
| Mirror |
21 7⁄8"
55.5 cms |
41 1⁄2"
105.5 cms |
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Stock: 8085
A gilt metal girandole mirror frame in the Rococo manner composed of fruiting hops set with four scrolling branches. Early 20th century.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
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| exterior |
21 11⁄16"
55 cms |
33 1⁄2"
85 cms |
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Stock: 10699
A French Renaissance Revival giltwood and gesso overmantel mirror with the original mirror plate with two female winged mythical Griffin like beasts centred by a stapwork cartouche with a Lion's mask surmounting repeating Venetian arches supported on tall reeded columns topped by Satyrs. Possibly also by furniture maker: L. Clerot, 3 rue des Carmes, Rouen. See also 10698 which is another mirror of similar dimensions but different decoration which has the makers label on the back. French circa 1860.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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42 3⁄16"
107.2 cms |
80 11⁄16"
205 cms |
2 5⁄8"
6.5 cms |
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Stock: 9054
A tall gilt wood and gesso pier glass from a grand chateau in the Transitional style. French, circa 1830.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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Width |
Height |
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49 5⁄8"
126 cms |
98 3⁄8"
250 cms |
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Stock: 8475
A large and rather beautiful and appealing carved giltwood overmantel mirror in the Rococo manner.
English, 19th century.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
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59 13⁄16"
151.8 cms |
61 1⁄2"
156.2 cms |
2 13⁄16"
7 cms |
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Stock: 8189
A large breakfront carved oak Victorian Palladian style overmantel mirror with swan neck scrolled broken pediment, carved acanthus leaf overmantel over egg and dart and fluted lintel interpositioned with circular carved paterae over fluted Corinthian pilasters. ( photo before restoration - item now fully restored )
English, 1850.
Link to: Antique mirrors and console tables
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width |
height |
depth |
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57"
144.8 cms |
53 1⁄2"
135.9 cms |
4 1⁄2"
11.4 cms |
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Antique mirrors
There is something alluring about an antique mirror - perhaps the combination of a finely carved frame and the shimmering surface of original glass - that has led to their enduring appeal amongst antique furniture collectors.
A short history of antique mirrors
The earliest mirrored glass was made in Murano in the 16th century, where glass was coated in mercury and tin to create a silver reflective layer on its reverse. This process was a closely guarded secret, and spies were sent from the French court of Louis XIV to Venice to discover the process. Their efforts paid off, and the French became renowned producers in their own right. Antique mirrors were made using mercury glass until other safer methods of manufacture became more widely available in the 19th century.
Earlier antique mirrors also tend to be slightly smaller, or made with separate panels of mirrored glass, as there was not the technology to produce single sheets of large glass until the late 18th century. Only the very wealthy could afford very large panes of glass, so mirrors were objects of prestige and magnificence.
Varieties of antique mirror
Whether an antique wall mirror, an overmantel mirror or a pier mirror, it is often the frame that catches the eye. Particularly fine mirrors are carved from mahogany or rosewood, or gilded using gold leaf, rather than paint. Mirror frames tend to be made of carved wood or carved wood and gesso. They are called giltwood mirrors if a thin layer of gold leaf has been applied over the carved and primed surface. Such mirrors exude quality and vary from bright gold through to a more worn, soft patina. An antique gilded mirror is often deemed more valuable than its wooden counterpart and is seen as a timeless addition to interiors of all styles.
Eras of antique mirror
Antique overmantle mirrors embody the elegance of a period home, and can inject both sophistication and character into an interior. Victorian mirrors often come in overmantel form, as in 19th century England, the mantelpiece was the heart of the home, a space to display precious objects and convey taste. The earlier Regency overmantel mirrors were often horizontal in form and more modest in design. Victorian mirrors were not only gilt, but often carved from wood such as oak, mahogany and rosewood.
In France the overmantel mirror was similarly significant, and in many cases, much taller, utilising the space above the fireplace enabled by higher ceilings and grand rooms. These Antique French mirrors are usually gilded, and wood was not widely used without a gilded adornment.
Often smaller, antique wall mirrors are an excellent thing to hang above a piece of furniture or in a hallway, where they can create the illusion of a larger, lighter space. They are less dominant than an overmantel, and serve a function in rooms such as bedrooms or hallways.
If you are looking for an overmantel or any Antique mirrors London is the place to look. Our showroom has numerous options all on display for you to browse, from early Georgian wall mirrors through to large Aesthetic movement overmantels.