Stock No: 16721

A fine and large 17th century ebonised ripple mirror. This striking mirror has a wonderful patina, the warmth of the wood just gleaning through the original ebonised finish. This encloses a foxed Mercury plate.
Such a wonderful survival from this period, perhaps originally a picture frame, and later re-purposed as a mirror.

Possibly Italian made for the Dutch market, c.1670.

These frames were thought to have originated in Germany - possibly Nuremberg - and are now most commonly associated with the Dutch 17th century tradition. The frames were in fact often produced in Italy, Spain and Flanders, using both ebony veneer and stained softwood. A machine was developed specifically to create the ripple effect, creating undulations in the wood using a fixed blade on a jig. These frames have become synonymous with the Dutch tradition as they were favoured by artists as they did not detract from the subject, and instead drew the gaze towards it.

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