Mirror in olive veneer and gilded wood, Provence circa 1710

Extremely rare mirror with double inverted profiles in olive burr veneer embellished with four finely engraved and gilded wooden spandrels.

Fir core, mercury glass. Very good state of conservation.

Provençal work, Louis XIV period around 1710.

Measurements: Height: 100cm; Width: 87cm; Border: 22 cm

Our opinion :

The mirror we present is a rare example of the ingenuity of Provençal artisans who cheaply imitate the precious "tinsel" mirrors by replacing the expensive embossed brass with finely dressed, engraved and gilded wooden spandrels.
Despite several decades of experience and even several generations, this type of production is a discovery for us.
Above all, it marks the beginning of the replacement of cabinetmakers by the corporation of gilders for mirror borders and marks the end of the reign of Louis XIV.
The olive burls which bring a very pleasant luminosity to our mirror will be abundant at the end of the Louis XIV period and the Regency.
The terrible winter of 1709 saw the freezing of the majority of olive trees in the Rhône Valley and Provence.
This species, which is particularly rare on the market because of the symbolism of the tree and its millennial life expectancy, will delight French cabinetmakers.