JP Weaver

 

  • Reflections from the Past


    History of the Decorative Mirror and its Carved Frame
    July 2021


    Ballroom DesignWith origins reaching back centuries, the decorative mirror carries a rich and venerable heritage. Ancient hand-held mirrors from Egypt and Assyria were fashioned from bronze, copper and gold and often depicted decorative border embellishments and human figures for handles. These early examples were the first to offer a designed "proscenium" for the reflective mirror.



    Ballroom Design Fast forward to the 15th century and we have the brilliant Venetian mirrors being made on the island of Murano. This remote island provided a desirable isolation so as to safeguard the closely held secrets of the Venetian artisans and glassmakers. Their flat polished glass sent back a perfect reflection and the Venetian Council, adamant to keep their techniques proprietary, made a decree that should any artist or worker disclose any of the clandestine methods to another country, would be doing so under the threat of having his family imprisoned. If the worker did not return to Venice, an assassin would be dispatched.



    Ballroom Design This however did not thwart Louis XIV's passion to line his newly built grand hall at Versailles (later to become the Hall of Mirrors, or la Galerie des Glaces) with Venetian glass mirrors. His architects Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun would provide the decorative frames and ornamentation. The King had his finance minister Jean Baptiste Colbert lure a few disgruntled Venetian workers away from their toil to bring their secrets to France. The three were smuggled out and a factory was set up on the rue de Reuilly in the Faubourg St-Antoine.



    Ballroom Design The bounty of these efforts and espionage is without doubt the most extraordinary example of decorative mirror. In the daytime, these seventeen mirrors made of up eighteen panes each would reflect the exquisite gardens designed by Andre le Notre; in the evening, the innumerable candles would flicker back the reflections of the king and his retinue bedecked in the finest of silk and precious gems.



    Ballroom Design The gilt and ornamentation of the mirror and frames at Versailles would reverberate down through the centuries yielding spectacular examples throughout Europe and America. In a myriad of styles ranging from Rococo, Late Baroque, English Regency, Chippendale and Victorian, many of these examples feature a carved wood or gesso frame that is later gilded. Unfortunately much of these early examples are in poor condition and seldom warrant the cost of restoration.



    Ballroom Design We have always held a deep passion for mirror design here at JP Weaver and carry a prodigious catalog of stunning examples. In addition we are often commissioned by clients to make custom mirror frames for mirrored wall panels, mirrored over-mantels and mirrored panels for doors. Our Flexible Petitsin Mouldings are the perfect candidate for every type of painted or gilded finish and available in a myriad of catagories from classical egg and dart to acanthus leaf. For design inspiration, please take a look at our Photo Gallery under Mirror Frame Designs. If you have a project in mind with any type of mirror design, we would love to accommodate and are more than happy to share our secrets... with no assassins dispatched.