Antique Mirrors: Types and Styles

Antique framed mirrors are things of beauty. These “magical looking glasses” also bear a sense of history and charm. Although mirrors hark back to the 3^rd century BC, it was during the 1600s that Murano glass makers perfected the art of blown glass mirrors, doing away with polished metal or stone mirrors. Since then, mirrors found their way to elegant parlors and ballrooms of royalty and the rich. Back then, they were virtually the only ones that could afford this luxury – and they placed mirrors in expensive metals and encrusted these with jewels or adorned them with elaborate molding.

Fascinating, isn’t it? There is just something about the over-the-top glamour that framed mirrors that draw our attention. These classic styles will look good above the console table in the foyer or as a showpiece in the living room.

Here are some of the popular types and styles of antique mirrors:

Gothic mirrors. These mirrors reflect a church-window style. Popular during the 12^th to 16^th century, this style features ornate scrolling or carving, with pointed arches at the top. This style is mostly popular with framed oval mirrors, made of dark wood such as walnut or oak. This style made a comeback in the 19^th century, where it was popularized as Victorian Gothic.

Baroque mirrors. These Baroque mirrors (17^th century) feature intricate moldings, hints of a Moorish influence in its style and often uses gold or silver gilding. However, the carvings are not as elaborate as the Gothic style. The carvings can include angels, flowers and leaves, as well as fruits. Some framed mirrors also had inlaid materials such as ebony and tortoiseshell.

Rococo mirrors. Flowers, leaves, feathers and birds or ribbons are carved, but mostly at the top. The rest of the frames may just feature simple lines and beading. The Rococo style usually made use of rectangle shapes, with asymmetrical moldings in gilded gold. These also come in the cathedral shape, which is an oval with a flat bottom. Some of the Rococo-style mirrors also featured decorative painting on the back of the mirror itself.

Georgian mirrors. This style is more restrained with almost no cravings along the frame, except for the top edge. Most of the designs include side scrolls, beading and scrolled edges. These use rectangular mirrors, and the focus is on achieving symmetry in design.

Neo-classical mirrors. These mimic the popular architectural style during the mid to late 18^th century, which mimic columns and medallion carvings at the top. These mirrors mostly come in rectangular or cathedral shapes. The frames are commonly gilded with silver and gold.

Regency mirrors. This was popular in England during the early 1800s, which used oval mirrors with slimmer frames. The predominant finishes were gilded gold and natural mahogany. Design elements include columns, friezes and cornices, as well as floral and leaf designs.

French mirrors. French mirrors are often less lavish in terms of molding but are simpler, more geometric. These feature columns, hand beveled designs and paneling. These mirrors were commonly hung above the chimney and were thus designed as a statement piece to match the design of the chimney.

These framed mirror styles are perfect, even for the modern home. Now, if you find original antique mirrors a bit too pricey for your budget, you can enjoy the same atmosphere of beauty for a fraction of the price with Victorian Frame Company products. You can opt for the silver or gold gilt finish, as well as wood finishes such as cherry and ash. If you favor a shabby chic style, you can simply do a DIY project to achieve a distressed look for your antique mirrors.