Edwardian Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Oval Bevel Mirror, c. 1910s–1920s

A horizontally oriented oval wall mirror in the English chinoiserie revival manner, the wide ebonized frame hand-painted in raised gilt, ivory, and iron-red with a procession of scenic vignettes: standing robed figures beneath parasols, cranes in flight above a rising sun, songbirds perched on flowering branches, swans gliding on water, and miniature pagoda landscapes with conical mountains. Fine trailing grasses, wisteria, and scattered florals fill the spaces between, all set against a deep black ground now showing the warm craquelure of aged lacquer. The original beveled mirror plate is retained, with characteristic edge oxidation and minor silvering loss to the reverse.

Mirrors of this type were produced during the Edwardian and early Art Deco years, when the taste for japanned and chinoiserie-decorated furnishings returned to fashion in British and American interiors. The horizontal oval format was particularly favored over a mantel or dressing table. This example retains its expressive original surface — the kind of honest, untouched patina that decorators now seek out specifically.

CONDITION

Good with honest age. An approximately 2¼" section of the frame is absent at the lower edge, exposing the gesso and wood substrate. Overall craquelure and fine crazing throughout the lacquered surface, with scattered small paint losses and edge rubs. The mirror plate shows minor silvering loss and oxidation specks consistent with age.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 19¼" H × 30⅛" W × 1⅛" D
• Construction: Wood, hand-painted lacquer decoration
• Mirror: Beveled plate, original
• Orientation: Mounts vertically (horizontal oval)
• Maker: Unmarked; no label observed verso