Regence Gilded Wood Mirror
 
French, circa 1725
Height: 83 inches (211 cm.)
Width: 47 inches (119 cm.)

A towering stylized aigrette centers the arched crest from which flower garlands tumble towards the heads of women wearing plumed headdresses carved atop the shoulders of the frame. Carved C-scrolls at the shoulders start as dragon heads and spiral into rosettes spilling out leaf and flower sprays. The lower corners are carved with similar scrolls with both ends spiraling into rosettes that spill out leaf and flower sprays. The short pendant feet are carved as foliate scrolls. The female mask with feathered headdress overlays the mirror at the lower center. It is surrounded by a pierced cartouche flanked by palm leaves. A molding carved with a chain with alternate links enclosing flower heads creates a conforming inner frame and crosspiece enclosing the central glass.