Hand-carved in Italy in the 1700’s, this silvered and giltwood parecloses mirror has a large sunburst crest. The central sun is surrounded by a stylized circular cloud, with beams of light radiating from beneath it. Flanking the crest is a pair of S-scrolls adorned with curled leaves that sit on top of two caulicole capitals. Both vertical columns beneath the capitals are formed by two stacked side mirrors surrounded by a lobed border. The side mirrors are referred to as pareclose, which are strategically placed to give the mirror a larger reflective surface area.

Each of the canted corners of the rectangular main mirror have been filled with leafy florets arranged in a spiral orientation. A gilded cyma recta molding surrounds the main mirror, offsetting the silvered background nicely. The bottom of the frame has a fluted inset rectangle that is filled with leafy florets flanking a pierced circle. Similar protruding plinths at the bases of the faux columns have similar décor, with fluting and an inset lozenge.

The design of our 18th century silvered and giltwood parecloses mirror is quite unusual, and offers an immediate striking visual appeal.  A rather large mirror, it can be installed on the wall of just about any room of the house. It can also be displayed on top of console or side table, resting against the wall.

CONDITION: Good antique condition with wear commensurate to age and use, including light buildup and loss of silvering to glass. Small split in the bottom right-side mirror. Slight loss of gilding and silvering on wood frame. Minor scratches and age separations.