18th fine Mirror in marquetry, Toulouse period Louis XIV

Rare and precious rectangular mirror with triple inverted profiles separated by molded rods in blackened wood.
The bottoms in flamed olive wood veneer; the central border embellished with polylobed median reserves and heart-shaped spandrels, decorated with birds and bouquets of flowers, in boxwood and sycamore wood dyed green, inlaid on a plum wood background.

Softwood frame; mercury glass.

Languedocian work, Toulouse, end of the Louis XIV period around 1700-1715.

Dimensions:

Height : 84 cm ; Width : 73

Our opinion :

Our precious mirror is characteristic of the Toulouse workshops which worked "in the Dutch fashion" at the end of the 17th century.
The cities of Languedoc, such as Nîmes, Toulouse or Montpellier, were strongholds of Protestantism at this time.
In accordance with the precepts of this cult, local craftsmen prefer to highlight the aesthetic qualities of French woods to the detriment of exotic woods which are massively used in the capital.
The olive burls which bring a very pleasant luminosity to our mirror will be abundant following the terrible winter of 1709, which saw the freezing of the majority of olive trees in the South of France.
This species, which is particularly rare on the market because of the symbolism of the tree and its millennial life expectancy, will delight cabinetmakers in these regions.
Among them, the young Thomas Hache, who made his debut in the pink city, before having a brilliant career, notably in the service of the princes of Savoy, will become one of the greatest representatives of this production in native wood.