Octagonal ceremonial mirror, Venice 17th century

Important ceremonial mirror in Venetian glass and embossed copper.
Rare octagonal shape with a central glass beveled on all sides.
It is framed by eight ice-bottomed borders; each border is separated by beveled strips.
The connecting joints are hidden under small embossed copper rods decorated with plant and fruit scrolls.
The exterior faces are finished with blackened wooden strips.

Very good state of conservation; original mercury glasses, wear to the central tin, a restored glass rod; small gaps in pushed-out copper.

Softwood background.

Venice, Murano glassmaking workshop, second part of the 17th century.

Dimensions:

Height: 106; Width: 106 cm

Center glass; Width: 69; Height: 67cm

Our opinion :

Throughout the 18th century, mirrors had a very high value and small formats were still worth the annual sum of a soldier under Louis XVI.
At this period, the price often depended on the richness of the gilded wood border, but in the 17th century, it was the mercury glass that determined the value.
The process, invented in Venice, is only used in the Venetian glassworks of Murano, in order to avoid the risk of fire.
Imported and envied throughout the world, mirror glass is a luxury product reserved for a princely elite.
Little by little, the small models will give way to ceremonial pieces whose borders, made up of mirrors and faceted sticks, illustrate the high know-how obtained by Venetian artisans.
Our example has magnificent bluish gray glasses, including a central glass (69 cm x 67 cm), which constitutes the maximum size that can be made by a glass blower.
In addition to its large size, this glass has the particularity of being quite thick; which allowed Venetian craftsmen to bevel all the faces by hand, by sanding with wet crushed glass.
This type of operation was reserved for ceremonial mirrors whose primary purpose was not to contemplate oneself but rather to dazzle the guests.
Its faceted design recalls the cut reserved for precious stones and confirms its function as a “sun” intended to reflect light in all directions.
The presence of embossed copper probably indicates a production intended for a French or Flemish sponsor, regions where this type of decoration was very fashionable during the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV.
Due to the exorbitant price, few of these large pieces were produced and very few have survived.
These large octagonal glass mirrors constitute the quintessence of Venetian art and still have a very attractive mystical side today.