Chinese/Indonesian Mirror on Stand with Elaborate Carvings

A Straites Chinese/ Indonesian mirror on stand, 19th century,…
click the photo to enlarge
A Straites Chinese/ Indonesian mirror on stand, 19th century, modelled as a small chest with drawers, on cabriole legs with an elaborate pierced and carved apron, with a mirror frame atop the chest supported on two guardian lions, the whole intricately carved in relief with foliate and animal designs, decorated with red paint and gilding, 73 cm x 35 cm x 21 cm. Wear to the gilding, some minor chips and losses, some draw require re-gluing. Separation between the legs and the chest of drawers. Losses to the moulding on both front corners. Ageing apparent to the mirror plate.

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A Chinese carved hardwood table screen, with inset polished bronze plaque. Height 73 cm max

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Chinese porcelain and carved timber table screen, people's Republic of China era, a porcelain panel decorated with enamel colours and depicting birds in a chrysanthemum garden, within a pierced floral and bat decorated frame upon a pierced and relief car

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Chinese carved hardwood table screen, Qing Dynasty 19th century, 88 cm high and 60 cm wide

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A large and impressive Republic period porcelain screen. The screen finely painted with a landscape and water scene. Damage to the wooden frame. Height 86 cm. Width 56 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.