Late Louis XIV early Regency martial mirror

Elegant Parisian wall mirror in richly carved and gilded oak from the early 18th century, midway between the end of the reign of Louis XIV and the beginning of the Regency period. Rectangular quadrilateral with convex capitals, it is enhanced by a small pediment. The main part consists of a frame adorned in each corner with spandrels from which emerges, at an angle towards the center, a fleur-de-lys in a cartouche of floral scrolls and foliage. In both the horizontal and vertical middle sections, staples adorned with shells complete the decoration, with only the capital treated differently. This is centered on an antique-style plumed helmet, rising from a cartouche, where a small symmetrical pediment adorned with garlands of flower buds is set back. The whole is enhanced by a fine, highly accomplished reparure of latticework and cross-hatching. On the back, the assembly is keyed and lined with an insulating pine floor, a technique typical of late great-century and early 18th-century assemblies. The central mirror is made of a flat glass plate lined with tin and lead, dipped in a mercury bath to dissolve them. The combination of tin and lead gives this "mercury" mirror its warm, luminous appearance. The sculpture of this mirror is full of vigor, strength and power, but moderated by a new current. The combined alchemy of decorative ornamentation, which combines the Louis-Quatorzian style characterized by cardinal virtues such as pure classicism, rigorous balance full of strength, symmetry and equilibrium, is here balanced by the more flexible and varied ornamentation of the Regency period, characterized on this mirror by the shells of the cartouches, giving a second wind to the decorative arts at the turn of the century.
A beautifully proportioned mirror perfectly in line with the height requirements of today's standards.
Dimensions: Height 88.6cm - Width 52.2cm - Depth to pediment 11.6cm.
It should be noted that the mirror's tint is slightly pitted; although it is the original tint, we have chosen to preserve it in order to preserve the integrity of this mirror dating back over 300 years.