Antique French Régence Style Pareclose Gold Mirror France circa 1880 (39"w x 69"h)

The beautiful combination of ivory, silver and gold leaf and carved details gives this antique French pareclose mirror from France circa 1880 its lovely appeal. The rectangular frame is surmounted with a Régence style cartouche that includes a stylized scallop shell as well as a symmetrical arrangement of scrolls and flourishes intertwined with flowers. Although extravagant in its lushness the controlled balance of the various motifs is quite restrained and pleasing to a modern eye. The exterior of the frame features an ivory band framing a silver leaf band that encloses a pattern of egg and dart moulding around the mirror. Because this is a "pareclose" mirror there are actually seven individual pieces of mirror contained within the frame. The technique of using separate pieces of mirror to cover a greater area began in the sixteenth century and the small sections of moulding used to hide the joined edges are known as "parecloses". The outer mirrors are set at a slight angle to capture more of the interior to reflect and the inner large mirror possesses a beveled edge. The moulding around the inner mirror is highlighted by a series of raised ovals known as "bosses" and the silver leaf is beautifully polished to emphasize their decorative quality.