We have a vast and beautiful collection of vintage French treasures, but there are a few things that really tug at our heartstrings. A vintage mirror is one of those things. Over the years we've learned to identify frame silhouettes, periods, finishes and approximate age on sight.
The Louis Philippe is one of our favorite silhouettes. The iconic Louis Phillippe Mirror originated during the reign of Louis Philippe I in France from 1830 to 1848. Louis Philippe ruled France with the support of the bourgeoisie. His middle class manners earned him the moniker “Citizen King” and may have influenced the not so glamorous style that bears his name. And while this style is typically not opulent, the simple lines and overall attributes of these type mirrors make them remarkably beautiful.
These mirrors are known for their soft, rounded top corners and squared-off bottom corners. Their simplistic design makes them timeless pieces that are perfect in any space. Typically, Louis Philippe mirrors also have subtle geometric or floral patterns etched into their frames.
The frames themselves are made of wood with plaster added by hand to create molding and sometimes botanical details. When the finish wears away over time, often the plaster is revealed to show that the mirror was made by hand, rather than milled by a machine.
If you're very lucky, you'll sometimes find a Louis Philippe mirror with a bevel cut into the mirror glass. A bevel on a curved corner or an oval can only be cut by hand.
Our favorite finish is gold leaf, but mirrors can also be gilded with gold paint. With the rise of Emperor Napoleon III right after Louis Philippe, mirror frames were finished in a waxy black to reflect a new style for the new regime.
Often, a gilded mirror will have a red undertone that comes from a compound known as red clay bole. Red lay bole is a type of fine-grained red clay that is often used as a pigment in art and for gilding. It is also sometimes called Armenian bole or simply bole. The clay is typically mined from specific locations, such as the foothills of the Armenian mountains, and then purified, ground into a fine powder, and washed to remove impurities.
Red clay bole has a number of desirable properties for use as a pigment. It has a rich, warm red color that is often used as a base for gold leaf or as a glaze for ceramics. It is also highly absorbent, making it useful as a ground for oil paintings or as a sizing for paper.
While vintage mirror glass can be hazy, we find that charming. The glass takes on a cloudiness from age that's known as "foxing." Some people replace the cloudy mirror glass with new glass, but we just can't bring ourselves to do that. We think it gives each mirror a bit of personality that makes clear it's a vintage piece rather than a replica.
Shop our collection of vintage mirrors and find a little bit of history for yourself>
