Reflecting on the past
Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum looks into the history of mirrors and studies their design and values
Human beings are acutely self-aware, so it is only natural that we should be interested in and able to recognise our own reflections. Mirrors are not just about vanity, however, they have myriad everyday, industrial and technological uses, too. Modern production methods have made mirrors cheap and they are so ubiquitous that we often pay little attention to them, seeing them as both functional items and common architectural elements. They can, though, also convey enormous symbolism and throughout history have carried the weight of many myths and legends.
All an illusion
The Romans were making glass mirrors as far back as 2,000 years ago, using reflective metals such as gold and silver to back small sheets of glass. But it was the Venetians who, in the 16th century, perfected a process of a mercury-based amalgam that adhered to the glass. Such creations were for the wealthy only and in the following centuries mirrors were used as a symbol of status and wealth; what better example than the opulent Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, finished in 1684.
With the advent of the silver nitrate silvering process, invented by the German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835, mirrors were able to be produced on a larger and more industrial scale, and so became more affordable to the masses. However, our love of the mirror doesn’t stem from its purely reflective qualities, rather it is the way that it is mounted or incorporated into our homes and furniture that makes it such a versatile medium.
Buying antique mirrors: what to look for
USE MIRRORS IN A DECORATIVE WAY and as a feature. For instance, you could buy several mirrors of a similar style, such as circular convex Regency ‘butler’s mirrors’ and arrange them on a large wall to produce a startling effect. Later ‘revival’ examples are far more affordable than period items.
MIRRORS ARE OFTEN THE SUM of all their parts and it is the frame that really produces the wow factor. As such, large gilt framed mirrors are a favourite of decorators, but a big Victorian picture frame can produce the same effect. Just add your own mirror.
LARGE PLAIN-FRAMED MIRRORS often belie the fact that they were used in a particular situation and this is the case with ‘haberdasher’s’ mirrors.
Often with plain black borders, they are usually of large proportions and date from the 19th and early 20th century. They can cost several hundred pounds even at auction.
TRENDS FOR MIXING HIGH-END kitchen design with good antiques means that advertising material has been popular for decoration. Good advertising mirrors sit well in this type of environment and are even used as decorative splashbacks.
ORIGINAL GLASS IS HIGHLY VALUED in old mirrors. Georgian examples are prized for their degraded look and this naturally acquired ‘patination’ can make an enormous difference to the value of an 18th-century pier glass. Don’t be tempted to change the mirror because you can’t see yourself in it.
CHEVAL, FULL-LENGTH DRESSING MIRRORS were popular from the 18th century onwards, and Victorian and Edwardian examples make a good decorative feature in a bedroom or dressing room, as well as being useful for grooming purposes.
SOME STYLES ARE NATURALLY unfashionable at present and small Georgian swing-plate dressing table mirrors with a row of drawers underneath are both profuse and cheap. You can pick up a typical example at auction for under £100.
In this respect, we have to use the term ‘mirror’ as a sum of all of its parts. It is both capable of carrying great artistic interpretation with its inclusion into wider decorative elements or objects, but also of creating a sense of space and light both indoors and outdoors by introducing the art of illusion.
Which is the fairest?
Mirror can be engraved and painted, or cut and cast into virtually any shape. I have around thirty mirrors in my own home. Several are incorporated into 18th- and 19th-century furniture, such as wardrobes and dressing tables, fulfilling the common purpose of providing a place for grooming. There is no shortage of such pieces and a trip to an auction house will offer ample choice.
Very large 18th- and 19th-century mirrors are currently en vogue and can cost several thousand pounds at retail. Many have gilt carved wood and gesso frames, some are purely moulded in gesso. Generally, the more actual carving, the more value you can attach to them. Perennial favourites, such as Chippendale-style chinoiserie, however, always carry a premium; but beware: most are not period and stem from the continual revival and copying of styles over the centuries, particularly in the Victorian and Edwardian epochs. You will be able to find a plethora of Chippendale-style mahogany mirrors at auction.
Overmantels, too, are common and Regency revival overmantel examples with gilded gesso neoclassical friezes of chariots over three separate glass plates are highly decorative in themselves, and usually sell at around £300-£500 at auction, depending on condition. Take care, though, as some overmantels are in fact the mirror backs dissociated from old sideboards.
Narrow, tall, Georgian pier glasses, specifically designed to go between windows and over pier tables, are always sought after. The French trumeau mirror, often specifically made to hang above a fireplace, incorporates both art, often an oil painting of putti – sacred cherubs – or a bucolic scene, over a small mirror and effectively does two jobs in one. They often start at around £400 up to perhaps £2,000 at auction or retail.
Some of the most decorative and striking mirrors are the fancy Venetian examples. Usually cut and engraved and of sectional construction, they are often large and feature appliqués of glass, too, such as flowers and spiral strands. Good 19th-century examples can cost several thousand but there are also many Asian reproductions, both on the high street and at auction. Antique examples may come with an acceptable amount of damage but they are prohibitively expensive to restore. Restoration is a key issue: if a mirror is broken you are essentially just buying the frame and if you need replacement glass, a modern mirror may not sit well.
The 1920s and ’30s saw a fascination for painted chinoiserie items and among the lamps and furniture, ranging in colours from red, to blue, to cream and green, the mirrors are currently very popular and small examples topped with a pagoda and decorated in raised gesso, can cost several hundred pounds at auction.
There are many different types of ‘antique’ mirror glass now available and it is worth spending more for the right sense of age. On occasion, I have also bought very poor items of 19th-century furniture just to salvage large plate-glass mirrors for future use – a good trade tip!
Condition is important, but also very subjective. What most people would call ‘worn out’ is a joy to
others and where the silvering on a period mirror is very poor and degraded, making it rather redundant as a mirror, this is a decorator’s dream and actually adds value.
Repurposed and recycled
As well as mirrors specifically designed for domestic interiors, there is a large market for examples from the world of advertising. In the Victorian and Edwardian periods such items were part of the vast publicity armoury that decorated shops and public houses. Not only were they decorative but they were an essential tool in promoting brands in retail interiors. They were also incorporated into shop fittings and cabinets for popular companies, such as Cadbury’s.
Large Victorian public house mirrors can sell for thousands of pounds, but I’ve seen some good fake mirrors that utilise old Victorian overmantels.
There was also a popular revival of printed advertising and Art Nouveau mirrors in the 1960s and ’70s, not to be confused with the originals.
Given that we live in an age where upcycling is prevalent, it is not unusual to see mirrors being fashioned from repurposed materials and reinvented using industrial components to make unusual decorative frames - this can be fun.
You can also do this yourself, and buying a big old Victorian picture frame at auction for just
£50 and getting a mirror cut at your local glass suppliers can fill the gap where a much more expensive painting might hang.
Finally, if it is fun you are after, why not buy a distorting fairground mirror? More popular than ever, originals are highly collectable and can be worth several hundred pounds at least. Probably best not to look at yourself in one before you go out for the evening, though.