Beautiful Antique Mirrors
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Mirrors And Their Early Beginnings
A wonderful collection of incredibly beautiful ornate antique mirrors that will bring to any home a self image experience that is full of splendour and historic reflection.
Mirrors have had a long and eventful journey throughout their history. Nowadays there is not a home that does not have a mirror. Mirrors are now a part of our daily routine. When we look into a beautiful ornate antique mirror we should respect its history and realize that we are sharing a reflection of the past.
Some of the first mirrors to be created were the handheld mirrors that the Romans developed in the 1st century AD. These were made of silver or polished bronze. The backs of the mirrors were usually embellished with beautiful ornamentation.
This type of hand mirror was then adopted by the Celts and by the end of the 11th century the mirrors had become quite common throughout Europe.
Mirrors have had a long and eventful journey throughout their history. Nowadays there is not a home that does not have a mirror. Mirrors are now a part of our daily routine. When we look into a beautiful ornate antique mirror we should respect its history and realize that we are sharing a reflection of the past.
Some of the first mirrors to be created were the handheld mirrors that the Romans developed in the 1st century AD. These were made of silver or polished bronze. The backs of the mirrors were usually embellished with beautiful ornamentation.
This type of hand mirror was then adopted by the Celts and by the end of the 11th century the mirrors had become quite common throughout Europe.
Roman Bronze Mirror - 1st Century AD
Mirrors As A Roman Art
The Moral Mirror of Roman Art
Amazon Price: $93.53 (as of 05/27/2012)
This interdisciplinary study explores the meanings of mirrors and reflections in Roman art and society. When used as metaphors in Roman visual and literary discourses, mirrors had a strongly moral force, reflecting not random reality but rather a carefully filtered imagery with a didactic message.
Important!
Welcome To Beautiful Ornate Antique Mirrors
12th and 13th Centuries
The First Use of Glass
Two Centres of Mirror Production
During the late 12th and early 13th centuries glass was first used in the production of mirrors and two unique centres of mirror production were established, the first one was in Nuremburg and the other soon followed in Venice.They would each produce mirrors that would define their reputation. The mirrors that the Venetian masters created were of a quality that far surpassed any others.
Over the next few centuries the mirror craftsmen of Venice very discretely found ways of being able to spread their knowledge to other cities in Europe.
17th Century
Mirrors To Enhance The Decor
And The Frames Played Their Part
Paris and then London soon incorporated the art of mirror making into their practices and from the late 17th century onward, mirrors and most especially their frames, really began to have an increasingly important role to play in the decor of any room.Some of the early frames that were produced were made of silver, gold, ebony and veneered wood from the walnut, olive or laburnum trees.
French and English royalty really embraced the idea of having as many mirrors as possible in lavish decorative surroundings and this greatly promoted the idea of mirrors to the vast population.
And soon many of the well to do families would follow the examples of the royalty and would have beautiful ornate mirrors placed in their homes.
18th Century
Mirrors As Over Mantels
And The First Circular Mirrors Were Produced
Soon it was traditional to have a mirror placed over the mantelpiece and incorporate its design into the overall fireplace unit.Many aristocrats would spend their time admiring themselves in the beautiful large ornate mirrors while at the same time enjoying the warmth of the fire while standing in front of the hearth.
Late 18th century mirror making by the French produced the very first circular mirrors, which had gilt frames.
The French craftsmen would manufacture mirrors using a technique that was based on pouring glass into cast moulds. Glass was poured from the dome into the perfectly smooth surface of the cast mould, and then, as the glass was cooling, a perfect consistency and smoothness of material was created with special rollers.
These mirrors would last in popularity to almost the end of the 19th century.
19th Century
Full Length Dressing Mirrors Emerged
And Mirrors Became Cheaper
In the 19th century, as the skill in mirror making improved, it became possible to introduce a new type of glass called cheval glass. This then allowed the production of full length dressing mirrors.Towards the end of the 19th century new innovative techniques were introduced that led to mirror production becoming much cheaper. This in turn meant that there would be a huge increase in the proliferation in the use of mirrors in people's homes. They were soon being integrated into many different types of furniture, such as wardrobes and they were also extensively used for the decorative architectural schemes in many towns and cities.
Antique Mirrors At The Auctions
Beautiful Ornate Antique Mirrors
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Take A Few Moments And Tell Me What You Think
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arncyn
Nov 8, 2010 @ 10:13 pm | delete
- Those antique mirrors are gorgeous and you presented them really well. ~Blessed~
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LeanneChesser Feb 10, 2010 @ 9:00 pm | delete
- Blessed again! These antique mirrors are beautiful and the history is fascinating.
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KathyMcGraw
Feb 3, 2010 @ 2:57 am | delete
- Wow..I just learned a lot about mirrors- really nice presentation as well. Blessed by an Angel :)
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Stazjia
Jan 28, 2010 @ 4:59 am | delete
- Brilliant lens on antique mirrors and so beautifully illustrated. You've also organised the information really well. Lovely!
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prosperity66 Jan 22, 2010 @ 3:10 am | delete
- OMG! what a lovely collection of antique mirrors! You did once again very well with your page!
Blessed by an Angel.
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