A PAIR OF GEORGE I GESSO MIRRORS

An extremely rare pair of early 18th century carved gesso mirrors, each retaining most of the original gilding and having a replaced 18th century bevelled mirror plate within an upright rectangular moulded frame decorated with fine leaf carving and strapwork, with lobed corners and a shaped apron carved with scrolls and similar decoration and centred by a stylised plume; having later glass candle arms and sconce plates. The shaped cresting profusely carved with fine strapwork, central lambrequin and plumes above, flanked by central carved dolphins with scrolling trails and birds’ heads below.
Note: The feature of carved dolphins is very rare.

Literature: Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, revised edition, 1954, vol. II, p. 332. Herbert F. Schiffer, The Mirror Book: English, American & European, 1983, p. 68.
Graham Child, World Mirrors 1650-1900, 1990, p. 78.
Illustrated:
Christopher Gilbert, A Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840, 1996, p. 432, illus. 867.