Looking glass

Status

On view

Date1750-1780

Geography Possibly made - England

Medium/TechniqueMahogany veneer (primary), gilt, gesso, glass

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 42 3/16 in. x 22 1/16 in. x 1 3/8 in. (107.16 cm x 56.04 cm x 3.49 cm)

Credit LineMount Vernon Collection

Object numberM-2707

DescriptionVertical, rectangular, fret-sawn and veneered looking glass with a carved and gilded ruffled shell or leaf affixed to the pierced, circular center of its scrolled crest, scrolled upper and lower brackets, and a scrolled base with central pendant flanked by three pairs of scrolls. Ogee-molded frame with indented top corners has a gouge-carved, gilded liner surrounding the silvered glass. The frame's sides are veneered between the brackets.

The crest and base are each a single board of horizontal grain butted against the top of the frame, secured with three horizontal glue blocks along the joint, and further braced by a pair of vertical blocks, nailed to the center back in the form of a V (those on the base are missing). Additional vertical blocks are nailed behind the upper scrolls of the crest. The lobes of central shell on the crest are nailed into the frame from the front. The brackets are glued to the crest and frame sides and each joint is reinforced with a thin vertical glue block. The backboard is composed of three horizontal boards held in the frame with nails.

The mirror and backing board are replacements. Several sections of each of the scrolled brackets have been replaced.

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