ANTIQUE MIRRORS

Almost all of the mirrors in this entry are faux antiqued. They have a hazy all over evenness to them that is a tell tale sign. 

When I began importing antiques at the tender age of 26 I was just out of Sotheby's and thought I had a lot more knowledge then I really did. However I bought well, mainly because I bought what I loved, what I felt was style forward even though it was old. Luckily no piece sat in my shop for long as people would quickly scoop up my favorite finds. 

   Sometimes I think about a leather french daybed I purchased at a french flea market or an antique orb I found in Brussels and wish I had kept them. I think all dealers feel that way about their items. A Sotheby's professor once said to me, "buy only what you love because you might have to live with it forever." It was the best advice for a new store owner and he was correct I live with a few pieces that no one else wanted. I love them.

    So back to antique mirrors. I have always been in love with antique mirrors and you can find them all over Europe for a very hefty price. I've only brought over two in my 6 years and one large Swedish trumeau mirror I live with...I couldn't separate from that one. 

History:

     King Henry VIII of England was an avid collector of mirrors which were considered equal to gold in value. It was the Venetians whom perfected the "mirror" "Venetians who would turn their attention to mirrors, inventing a method for making a flat glass mirrors. Hand-blown mirrors were a very serious business and the Venetians fiercely guarded their techniques. Any Venetian craftsman who dared breech that secrecy faced imprisonment and even execution." Rua Antiques Library

When Buying Antique:

      The technique to mirror is a process known as silvering which gives you the "reflection." Silvering is often worn in antique mirrors and chips in the glass can also be present. What a collector is looking for IS theses blemishes or what is called "diamond dusting." These beauty marks often increases the price of the piece. 

    The Hollywood Regency period brought back the antique mirror look however the look was a replication. Today replicating antique mirror is easily done although to having it done properly is a costly endeavour. I am at the finial stages of designing a kitchen and faux antique mirror is used is a large part of it (pictures to come) 

   Here are ways others have used the antique mirror look. ENJOY!!

This is an ACTUAL antique mirror. I can tell by the mirror which is in two pieces (they couldn't make a glass sheet ths large at the time),  the diamond dusting is primarily on the edges of the mirror and of course the hand carved frame. This is a gorgeous piece.