A Louis XV Miroir de voyage by Pierre Hache 18th Century circa 1745-1750

A polylobed travel mirror, with maple veneer around the edge and periphery, enhanced by Italian-style marquetry featuring an elegant stylized frieze of flowers, foliage and acanthus leaf scrolls in natural and partially burnt green-stained sycamore in geometric walnut reserves, all on a core of Isère walnut. Great care was also taken with the back, with its polylobed valet to keep it upright. The mirror consists of a flat glass plate lined with tin and lead, which have been immersed in a mercury bath to dissolve them. The combination of tin and lead gives the "mercury" mirror its warm, luminous appearance. This mirror's curvaceous shape reflects production in the second quarter of the 18th century, in stark contrast to the previous reign, which tended to favor straight shapes.
The stamp of Pierre Hache, consisting of two separate irons, Hache for one and Grenoble for the second, is stamped on the right-hand side of the frame's back.

Dimensions height 41cm, width 32cm.

This mirror was designed to rest on a table thanks to a "valet" support, and was transported in a box during the travels of its wealthy owners. An intimate, feminine object par excellence, the travel mirror testifies to the importance that aristocrats of the 17th and early 18th centuries attached to their appearance, particularly for make-up but also for clothing. Madame de Maintenon is credited with the expression "être à son miroir" ("to be at one's mirror"), and wrote to Madame Daubigny in 1678: "Trois heures aux miroirs, tous les matins, c'est deux de trop" ("Three hours at the mirrors, every morning, is two too many"). This infatuation with fashion and beauty is perfectly illustrated in an engraving by Jean Mariette (1654-1742) showing Mademoiselle de Mennetoud at her mirror. Richly dressed, she contemplates her face in a mirror on a table.