We have eight fireplaces and six mantles in our house, and because I seem to be inextricably tied to the rule that a mantle must have a mirror over it, I’m always on the hunt for the elusively perfect mirror. It’s a rather casual hunt, as I have mirrors for all my mantels, just not the right mirrors. Right now, I’m on the lookout for a carved oval gilt mirror from the first half of the nineteenth century, a search that began when I spotted this Salem-made, circa 1820 mirror on ARTstor.
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts
It’s a bit flamboyant but I love it and wish I could find out more about it; I think it would be a whimsical counter-piece to the more sedate and square mirrors that I already have. But of course it’s not for sale, and if it were it would probably cost as much as the house. There’s a somewhat similar oval mirror on 1stdibs from Jorgenson Antiques, but second mortgages must go towards structural necessities rather than decorative accessories!
Here are some other mirrors in the unattainable mirror files, starting with an elaborate oval overmantle mirror in the Cook-Oliver House here in Salem: it takes a particularly impressive mirror to grace a McIntire-carved mantle. And then, in no particular order, a Chippendale design for an overmantle mirror dated 1765, another design drawing for a horizontal oval mirror by James Wyatt from the same era (maybe all I want is drawing of a fancy mirror), and a watercolor of a Warwick Castle bedroom from a charming book of plates entitled Historic English Interiors (Hessling, New York, 1920).
HABS photograph by Arthur C. Haskell, 1939. Library of Congress
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art
I thought I was looking for an oval mirror until I came across this picture of Ben Bradlee’s and Sally Quinn’s Georgetown dining room: the embellished rectangular mirror is really lovely, especially over that mantle and against that paper–reproduced from a pattern that was in Mr. Bradlee’s mother’s home in New England. He descends from the Salem Crowninshields, which might be how and why he was in possession of 12 McIntire chairs. What you see below are copies; he donated the originals to the White House.
February 7th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Hello Donna,
I have trouble keeping up with your very prolific blog, but each and every posts are delightful to see and read.
Anyes
XX
February 8th, 2012 at 8:27 am
I think the vertical mirror is Bradlee’s dining room is perfection in the spot—but the sheer quality and exuberance of the first oval mirror makes me weak.
My two fetishes are chairs—of any era or description—-or mirrors, Federal, please. And lots of them.
February 8th, 2012 at 10:31 am
I’m with you: the whole house could be just chairs and mirrors and I’d be happy: but husband, stepson & cats would not.
I did want to put the first Salem mirror out there to find out more about it: there’s no information at the Clark, or anywhere else I looked. I’m very curious about it.