THE DONNINGTON GROVE MIRROR

A George III giltwood and carton pierre pier mirror.
Note: The mirror retains the original mercury silvered mirror plate. The frame has been re-gilded.
The design drawing in white pen for the chinoiserie canopy was discovered on the internal side of the back board during restoration of the mirror. This was a rare and important find, as original 18th century drawings of mirrors are extremely scarce.
The mirror belongs to a small group of very similar mirrors, all of which share the same combination of carton pierre and giltwood.
Daisy Fellowes is often described as one of the great style icons of the early 20th century. Her substantial fortune allowed her to entertain on a grand scale in France and the Mediterranean and at Donnington Grove, her country seat in Berkshire, which she furnished in an opulent way.
She was notorious for her many indiscretions with married men, but her eccentric reputation, combined with her wealth, lavish hospitality, sharp tongue and dry humour, made her one of the most socially influential women of her time.

Literature: R. W. Symonds, 'English Furniture in the Chinese taste', Connoisseur, February 1936, pp. 89-94.
Will Bennett, 'Daisy Fellowes', Daily Telegraph, 28 January 2002, Art & Culture section, no page no.
Ronald Phillips Ltd., 'Mirrors', catalogue, 2010, p. 256; a mirror from the same workshop.
Illustrated:
The Vernay Collection Spring 1928, p. 39. Arthur S. Vernay.
Christopher Hussey, 'Donnington Grove Berkshire II', Country Life, 25 September 1958, p. 655, Fig. 4.
Geoffrey Wills, English Looking-glasses: A study of the Glass, Frames and Makers (1670-1820), 1965, p. 96, illus. 85.

Provenance

Arthur S. Vernay Inc. New York, USA.
Mallett & Son Ltd., London, England.
Daisy Fellowes, Donnington Grove, Berkshire, England.
Private collection, England.