Mirror Frame

Mirror glass was very expensive in the 1700s, since it was difficult to produce and transport. To make a mirror, specialist craftsmen poured molten glass onto a large iron plate. These sheets were then taken by boat to the workshops of the miroitiers (mirror makers), who polished them and coated them with mercury. Only relatively small mirrors could be made until the late 1700s, so large frames such as this would be filled with two separate pieces of mirrored glass. A pair of cornucopia spilling coins and jewels, symbolizing worldly prosperity instead of the usual fruits and vegetables, decorates this elaborately carved frame. The prominent fleur-de-lis in the upper corners may indicate that it was made for a member of the French royal family.