old, old girandole mirror

6 years ago

My wife bought this mirror for a few hundred euros in a shop in Lyon.
The seller, between the reservation and the delivery, received several rather high offers, but he kept his word and kept his initial promise to give the object to the first buyer (my darling, therefore).
I remain dubious.... In the meantime, the mirror has suffered a fall and one of the candlestick supports is a bit twisted... sic...

could someone please tell me the nature (and price) of this item ?

45x30cm (approximately), loud bronze (i think), the feet have a ram's head...

the stand is marked : "B.D." (?)

Thank you very much !

Featured Answer

Christian ANDRE
Original Author

6 years ago

I got the analysis from an expert (below). I'll spare you the full description and analysis, but I'm offered 2300 euros as is.

"It's a bronze table or toilet mirror in neo-Renaissance style dating from the end of the 19th century. Before the advent of electric lighting, the brilliance of the mirror was enhanced by candles fixed on two bobeche-light arms. This table mirror, with bevelled glass, has a richly carved bronze frame with a copper plate on the back and a removable cut-out support. The brown patina is very nice. We find the decoration of the ornamental repertoire of the Renaissance, 16th and 17th century, with the cut leather, the cabochon medallion escutcheon (or mirror), the fleurons, cul-de-lampe, symmetrical arabesques, masks, putti and bestiary of ram's head and equine feet. The chasing is of good quality (difficult to really tell from the pictures). If there is no space between your finger placed on the mirror and its reflection then the mirror is not older than the middle of the 19th century. I can't really see how the feet are fixed. Finally, "B.D." surely corresponds to the brand of the 19th century foundryman (La Société des Bronzes de Paris? Barbedienne ?)."

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Comments (7)

lindac92
6 years ago
Why do you say "old old"? I would guess Victorian era.....could the stand say BH for Bradly Hubbard?
Depending on what you mean by "a few hundred Euros"...she over paid. anything more than 200 Euros would be very high.

It's lovely....is there any evidence that is was gilded at one time?
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maifleur03
6 years ago
Just a question. If you know what your wife paid and have that document why are you asking on here what it is worth????
Christian ANDRE
Original Author
6 years ago
I received the expert opinion just after i posted my first message here..
maifleur03
6 years ago
But you still knew what your wife paid for it "could someone please tell me the nature (and price) of this item ?".
lindac92
6 years ago
If someone has really offered you 2300 Euros I would grab it and run like mad and not look back.
As for the analysis....fanciful, descriptive and generally a word salad. I see no fleurons, putti, nor fleur-de-lampe. Cabochon medallion escutchon? How about cabochon medallion?
And It very possibly may be brass....I see evidence of that color around the mirror where glass cleaner would have removed some tarnish...

Besides it's damaged.....Worth perhaps 200 Euros....if you can find a buyer.
maifleur03
6 years ago
Given that the brace is broken and wired where it attaches to the frame and it is not mentioned in the "report" I hope when you sell it you do not use that report to enhance the value. A good report would have mentioned something as obvious as the wire that is being used to hold the two pieces together.