Looking glasses were to be found in nearly every room at Mount Vernon, where they offered a view of one's figure and accentuated the light in a room by reflecting and dispersing it. On this elegant example, a complex network of carved and gilded C-scrolls, curving foliage, and rocaille or rockwork ornament transforms the frame from a functional necessity into a work of art. It descended in the family of Martha Washington's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis.