Federal-Style Gilt Mirror with Eagle Finial, Early 20th Century
Presented is a Federal-style mirror with a stunning eagle finial. The mirror frame is ornately carved and painted gold. At top is a glorious spreadwing eagle perched atop a bundle of leaves. The sides of the mirror frame boasts a cornucopia design, with the base of the cornucopias wrapped in acanthus leaves and the top overflowing with vegetables and fruits. This mirror is undated, but most likely made in the early 20th century.
Ornate mirrors such as this one made their way into the homes of the American elite and wealthy at the end of the 1700s. When accompanied by candles, these mirrors helped to illuminate a room. Architecture, furnishings and decorative embellishments of this era typically reflected the Neoclassical style, which includes influences from Greece and Rome, prevalent in Europe and Great Britain at the time. Many Federal mirrors included an eagle standing on a Corinthian, Doric, or an Ionic column, surmounted to the midpoint of the mirror frame at the top, with either branches or other decorative leaf designs on either side of the column.
The eagle is both the national bird and the national animal of the United States. The eagle motif has been widely used throughout American history, most notably as part of our Great Seal. The founders of the United States were fond of comparing their new republic with the Roman Republic, in which eagle imagery, usually the golden eagle, was prominent. On June 20, 1782, the Continental Congress adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States depicting a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows and an olive branch with its talons. Since then, the eagle motif has appeared in allegorical engravings, patriotic banners and posters, and in beautiful wooden carvings and sculptures.
CONDITION:
Good overall condition. Early 20th Century. Mirror with cornucopia sides and spread wing eagle finial. Some cracking to paint due to age and past use. Mirror glass intact.
Dimensions: 27 5/8" H x 25 1/2" W x 4" D.
Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.
Pickup available at Colorado
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Federal-Style Gilt Mirror with Eagle Finial, Early 20th Century
Colorado
1 Lake Avenue
Colorado Springs CO 80906
United States
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