Rococo Locksmith's Guild Mirror, Danish, c.1750

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Made in *scale by Wm. Robertson, 2020

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* Note, This is larger than the original in 1/12th scale. Mirrors of this style were made in a variety of sizes.

 

Sale pending To purchase email robertsonminiatures@gmail.com

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The latest piece I have made, which has extensive carving is this Danish rococo style mirror. I saw the original years ago in Copenhagen and noticed the strange subject matter of the carving. Instead of birds or flowers as most rococo carving is intertwined around, this mirror has keys and tools used by a lock maker. There is speculation that this must have been made for a Locksmith’s Guildhall in the mid 18th Century. Mirrors were often used to help light a dark room as opposed to looking at a person's reflection. The room may have these in opposite pairs, as is typical in the period, behind wall mounted candle sconces to magnify the candle light making the room brighter. The frame molding was milled out using a router bit made just for this project. The carving, as is the rest of the mirror, is made from pear wood. The design is asymmetrical and mounted at an angle as is the original. The gilding is 24k gold leaf. The thin mirror glass I have had for over 40 years. Handmade marbleized paper covers the back. The backside edges are beveled and the signed/dated brass plate holds the hanging wire.

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I only made one mirror this size, it was started in the summer of 2019 and finished in Jan. 2020. The mirror is 3 3/4" (9.8cm) tall.