A Bronzed and Ebonised Convex Mirror, 19th/20th century

The mirror plate is set in a well-defined reeded frame with a plain bronzed hollow sight edge.

Convex mirrors have been prized possessions for many centuries. The distorting effect of the glass creates charming effects in domestic interiors and have featured often in paintings reflecting back to the viewer areas out of immediate eyesight. An elaborately framed convex mirror is a central feature in the famous Arnolfini Wedding Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck in the National Gallery, London. The famous London architect and collector, Sir John Soane (1753-1837), made extensive use of convex mirrors to create the illusion of space in his house and an intricately connected series of galleries, now the Sir John Soane’s Museum.