1720s Wall Mirrors

A Rare and Unusual Pair of 18th Century Spanish Colonial 'Enconchado' Mirrors Veneered in Tortoiseshell and Inlaid With Bone and Mother of Pearl Made in Lima (Peru) or Mexico Circa 1720 Provenance One of the mirrors with a fragmentary label printed with "Bodmer", possibly relating to one of the branches of the Bodmer family in Switzerland, some of whom were renowned collectors of South American art The mirrors of rectangular form with ripple moulded outer borders framing tortoishell veneered inner borders inlaid with fine bone stringing and sinuous floral motifs inlaid in mother of pearl. The sight edges also veneered and inlaid with a repeating geometric motif. The mirrors are notable for the fine quality of the inlay, their unusually large size for this date, in particular the size of the plates themselves (possibly original) and the fact that they are a pair. The term 'Enconchado' comes from Spanish colonial art, particularly associated with Mexico, comprising of oil paintings inlaid with mother of pearl and other iridescent minerals. This form of art is discussed in great detail by Miguel Arisa in his essay Luminosity in Mexican Enconchado Paintings and Conceptions of the Sacred in Visual Culture and Indigenous Agency in the Early Americas, The Early Americas: History and Culture, Volume: 10 Chapter 4 (October 2021). He argues that the development of this style was an attempt to combine pre-Hispanic indigenous South American traditions regarding the sacred properties of "shiny objects" and "Baroque concepts of the miraculous", the sparkling inlay adding to the power of the European religious imagery. Mirrors such as the present pair are likewise cross-cultural objects, fusing European form and aesthetic concerns with indigenous craftsmanship to create objects of great prestige and decorative appeal. The ripple mouldings are clearly the result of a 17th century Dutch...

Pair of English Queen Anne burl walnut beveled wall mirrors with central gilt wood shell and foliage decorations, flanking upper star etchings, scalloped gilt foliage interior and ex...

This elegant George III parcel-gilt mirror of beautifully grained Honduras mahogany features a scrolled swan neck pediment with central cartouche and elaborate foliate carving. More ...

Very fine early Georgian walnut and parcel gilt mirror, the scalloped crest with inset carved gesso and gilt scallop shell over molded frame surrounding original shaped and beveled m...

Fine George I giltwood looking glass, the eagle and foliate carved crest with punched ground surrounding an arched and shaped hollow beveled plate wi...

Important Italian Empire period mirror from the 18th century, finely carved in wood and gilded with gold leaf. Entirely original, including its period mirror glass, this exceptional ...

An attractive late George I giltwood mirror, the rectangular frame enclosing a bevelled plate and surmounted by a broken S-scroll pediment, ce...

Elegant 18th-century French mirror featuring a finely carved and gilded wood frame, showcasing the graceful curves and ornamental details typical of the Louis XV or Louis XVI periods...

This early 18th century Irish George I wall mirror is topped by a broken pediment with a shell and acanthus leaf cartouche. The shaped apron is adorned...

A very pretty and rare painted Georgian wall mirror, circa 1720, with the original foxed mercury plate. Decorated with floral motif and scrolls, edged in gilt. Backboards are orig...

of rectangular form with reed-like moldings and outer layer of leaf form carvings, now fitted with a later mirrorplate

An outstanding deep set marquetry cushion mirror, 18th century in the William and Mary style, inlaid with figures of wild boar, hare, stag, deer and fox set among foliage & scroll wo...

Georgian gilt carved wood and gesso girandole wall mirror with a swan neck centered shield crest, original flanking scrolled spur bronze candle holders, a...

Georgian gilt carved wood and gesso girandole wall mirror with two original scrolled spur bronze sconces and shell motif. Early 18th Century. Mirror retains the original wood backing...

With a broken arch pediment with central carved shell and flower head over an original beveled mirror plate surrounded by a paneled inlaid frame flanked by trailing bellflowers.

A pair of highly decorative hand carved and gilded walnut frame mirrors. Featuring a crest with floral gilded carving and elaborate ribbon gilding around the glass. These mirrors wou...