A Fine George II Period Walnut & Parcel Gilt Mirror

The acanthus and egg and dart carved swan neck pediment centred by an eagle; the pendants carved with acanthus leaves, flowers and fruit. The mirror plate is replaced.

The design of this mirror is typically Palladian and was inspired by the framed niches in the Pantheon which housed shrines to Roman gods. The owner of the mirror seeing his reflection would have compared himself with these gods, a wonderful Georgian conceit. This mirror's large scale is extremely rare and suggests it was commissioned for a prestigious position in a grand early 18th Century mansion.