{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O187214"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O187214/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FB2686/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FB2686/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011FB2686","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016HY7882","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016HY7883","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016HY7884","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016HY7885","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016HY7886","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV2142","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV2143","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV2144","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV2145","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O187214/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O187214","accessionNumber":"288-1864","objectType":"Mirror","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Monumental carved and gilded mirrors, usually placed above console tables, were a fundamental element of Italian baroque interiors.  During the day they helped to magnify the effect of daylight from the windows, and in the evening they reflected the glimmer of candlelight.  Although the original location of this particular mirror is unknown, it would probably have hung above a console table against a wall of a state room, in the arrangement that can still be seen in Italian interiors such as the galleries of Palazzo Colonna and Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj in Rome.\n\nThe design of this mirror is in keeping with the baroque style that emerged in Rome in the 1620s and became popular throughout Italy and, subsequently, Europe.  It is vigorously carved with an abundance of scrolling acanthus, creating a magnificent effect made even more magnificent with gilding.  The use of naturalistic motifs such as acanthus is characteristic of the Italian baroque, and can be seen in the designs of Bernini and his follower Giovanni Paolo Schor, as well as in many anonymous pieces of surviving Italian baroque furniture, ranging from console tables and mirrors to coaches.  Overall, the style of the mirror is like that of 2 engraved designs for mirrors or frames that appear on plate 15 of Filippo Passarini's <u>Nuove inventioni d'ornamenti</u>, published in Rome in 1698.  \n","physicalDescription":"Mirror in a frame of carved and gilded wood, identified visually as lime or poplar.  The pierced carving comprises scrolling foliage in high relief, and incorporates a winged mask among the leaves on the bottom edge.  The cresting on the top of the mirror is a separate piece.  The mirror glass appears to be original.\n\nConstruction\nThe mirror is made up of a shallow sub-frame made from 4 large sections of  wood (lime or poplar). Four large metal  plates attached with screws hold the sections together. The protruding  leaves are carved into secondary and  third pieces of applied wood. The top section of the mirror (approx. 12 inches from the top) is separate and  is made up of two vertical pieces and  like the rest is made of a shallow ‘sub’  frame and applied carved leaves. The  top of this top section slopes forwards. All the leaves have been broken off in the past and some have  been re attached in the wrong location since some details of carving do not line up or have filled joins, such as veining in the leaves that should line up with the main frame. There are inserts of wood between the main sub-frame and some of the protruding leaves. It is not clear if all of these are original or if they  have also been re attached in the wrong areas, although they appear to  have the same gilded surface as the  rest. There are 6 areas of missing leaves.  \r\n\nDecorative Surface \r\nMost of the surface retains its original water gilding which consists of a thick gesso ground, orange bole &amp; gold  leaf. One half of the mirror (on a vertical axis) is  burnished, the other not, but it is not clear why this should be. \r\n\r\nHanging fittings\r\nThere are several old holes probably  from previous hanging fittings which go  right through the ‘sub frame. It is not  obvious which are the holes for the  original hanging fittings. There are  several old (possibly original) round headed nails at the top and bottom at the back, which have remains of fibres behind, possibly from a dust cloth attached to the  back. \r\n\nGlass plate\nThe glass  appears  to be original despite its newish appearance from the front, silvered with mercury-tin amalgam. The mirror back is covered with a large back board which appears contemporary with the rest of  the mirror and held in with rusting hand-cut nails. Tool marks, possibly executed by a bush plane can be seen on both the back board and the back of  the frame. \tThe back board is made of two pieces  of wood, now warped, which protrude beyond the level of the back of the mainframe. \tAt the sight edge adjacent to  the mirror, some carved detail seems to have been removed. \r\n\r\nConserved 2015.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"mirror glass","id":"x32916"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand carving","id":"x34992"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Mirror glass framed by carved and gilded wood (lime or poplar)","categories":[{"text":"Frames","id":"THES48949"},{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[{"text":"Baroque","id":"AAT21147"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2011FB2686","2016HY7882","2016HY7883","2016HY7884","2016HY7885","2016HY7886","2015HV2142","2015HV2143","2015HV2144","2015HV2145"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"7","id":"THES263054"},"free":"","case":"SC3","shelf":"EAST","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Mirror","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1680-1710","earliest":"1680-01-01","latest":"1710-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2780","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1500","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"180","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measured for Europe 1600-1800"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The register states that this mirror and frame were purchased for £50 at the sale of William Makepeace Thackeray's house contents by Messrs Christie, Manson & Wood on 16-17 March 1864, but no item described in the catalogue matches the mirror. The Museum register states that the mirror was repaired in October, 1866, but does not give details of what repairs were undertaken.  At some point in its history some of the acanthus fronds were broken and have been replaced, not always in the correct position.  The gilding of the mirror frame appears to have only been burnished on one half: it is not yet clear when or why this occurred.\n\r\nA very similar frame, but holding a painting rather than a looking-glass, appears in a watercolour by Joseph Nash of the state drawing room at Stowe in 1845.  This watercolour is now in the Royal Collection.  Other similarly elaborate frames, although none that are that similar in design and shape, can be found in numerous private and public collections in Italy, dating from the middle of the 17th century to the early 18th century.\n\nThe rather elongated, flattened acanthus leaves of this mirror are not unlike those in the famous suite of baroque furniture in the Meli Lupi collection at the Rocca di Soragna.  Overall, the style of the mirror is like that showcased in Filippo Passarini's <u>Nuove inventioni d'ornamenti</u>, published in Rome in 1698.  Plate 15 in Passarini's publication shows designs for two large mirrors or frames above console tables, both frames characterised by an abundant use of scrolling acanthus.  This engraving is held in the Prints and Drawings Collection at the V&amp;A, Museum no. 86.J.19.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Carved and gilded mirror, Italian, c.1680-1710","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Sabatelli, Franco (ed.), <u>La cornice italiana dal rinascimento al neoclassico</u> (Milan, 1992)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Colle, Enrico, <u>Il mobile barocco in Italia: arredi e decorazioni d'interni dal 1600 al 1738</u> (Milan, 2000)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Mirror\r\n1650–1700\r\nItaly\r\nGilded wood frame;\r\nmodern mirror glass\r\nMuseum no. 288-1864","date":{"text":"November 2015","earliest":"2015-11-01","latest":"2015-11-30"}}],"partNumbers":["288-1864"],"accessionNumberNum":"288","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1864,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN1113","2019LN8378","2019LV2781","2019LW8225","2021MU7574","2021MU7576","2021MV2040"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-12","recordCreationDate":"2009-02-11","availableToBook":false}}