Pair of small shaped mirrors (fans), in carved and gilded wood, Turin, mid-18th century, Louis XV period. Measures: cm H 53 x W 33. Price between 5,500.00-6,500.00. Object accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The valuable pair of small mirrors, made around the middle of the eighteenth century in Piedmont, features a gilded and carved wooden frame with leaf motifs and inclusions of Venetian-inspired ground mirror portions. The cimases are specular with a foliated fan shape and ground mirrors. On the central body, a mercury mirror is applied, coeval and original, which shows the correct blackening of the surface due to the alteration and oxidation of the mercury. This type of small mirrors, called fans, served as wall lamps to support candles to illuminate the corridors or living rooms of prestigious residences. The reflecting surface of the mirror allowed a pleasant and functional diffusion of the light of the lamps. In the lower portion of the frame, the metal insert on which the light holder was applied is visible. Some fans of similar workmanship and model are preserved in the Royal Palace of Turin and in many historical Piedmontese residences. In good condition, we point out small fractures and cracks in two glass inserts and the wooden frame. Essential bibliography: Roberto Antonetto, The Piedmontese furniture in the eighteenth century, vol. II, Umberto Allemandi, Turin 2010
Period: First half of the 18th century