Antique Mirror

At a glance

• Family: Mirrors & Trumeaux
• Periods most often found: Louis XV frames date from 1730 to 1770; Louis XVI from 1770 to 1790; Empire from 1800 to 1815; Louis-Philippe from 1830 to 1850; Napoleon III from 1850 to 1880; revival frames throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries.
• Typical price: about $1,200; range $300 to $8,000 and more for exceptional pieces
• What drives value: Size, original glass, giltwood, carving

What it is

Antique French mirrors are read in three parts: the frame, the glass and the back. Frames range from carved and water-gilded Louis XV and XVI designs to the rounded-corner Louis-Philippe frame, provincial carved walnut and painted pine, Napoleon III gilt composition and the beveled frameless mirrors of Art Deco. The glass itself tells a story: before the mid-19th century, plates were backed with a tin-mercury amalgam that ages into gray clouds and foxing; later mirrors use chemical silvering.

How to identify and date it

Turn the mirror around. An old frame holds its plate in a rabbet with small wooden blocks or wedges, closed by a backboard of hand-planed planks, often with old paper labels or inscriptions. The gilding on the front should show the red or ochre bole beneath worn gold; gold paint has no bole and looks flat. Original glass is thinner than modern glass, slightly gray, sometimes with small bubbles or ripples. Carving should match the style claimed, but because every style was revived, only construction, marks or documents support a date.

Periods and styles

Louis XV frames date from 1730 to 1770; Louis XVI from 1770 to 1790; Empire from 1800 to 1815; Louis-Philippe from 1830 to 1850; Napoleon III from 1850 to 1880; revival frames throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries.

How much is it worth?

On the US retail market, most antique mirror examples ask around $1,200. Simple or worn pieces start near $300, while documented, signed or exceptional examples can pass $8,000. The main value drivers are: size, original glass, giltwood, carving. These are indicative ranges, not an appraisal; see our price guide for French antiques for the method.

Questions buyers ask: antique mirrors value; antique mirrors worth money; antique mirror value; antique wood mirrors value. The answer depends on the points below, which are worth checking before you compare prices.

Before you buy

• Look at the back
• Check the gilding for regilding or gold paint
• Examine the glass for replacement
• Weigh it and plan a cleat or D-rings into studs
• Ask about shipping crates

Living with it

A large gilt mirror above a mantel, a console or a bed is the single most transformative object in a French room; lean a tall one against a wall for an easy, collected look.