Pier glass mirror with verre eglomise frame. English c1700

Pier glass or wall mirror. Mirror panel of glass enclosed in a frame of brilliant, polished glass gilt on the reverse and backed on softwood. Tall, narrow rectangular form symmetrically shaped at the top. Lower part surrounded by a border of gilt strap-work, partly interlacing and foliated panels. At the top the frame consists of an inner similar border separated by a raised beading of gilt softwood from an outer irregular border with bold foliage in a symmetrical arrangement.

Given by Mrs Percival Griffiths in memory of her husband

Given by Mrs Percival Griffiths, 34 Bryanston Square, London W1
'Cracked, rubbed, centre panel at the top renewed at the Museum, May 1939'.
Fomerly in the collection of Percival D. Griffiths of Sandridgebury, Herts.

Museum numbers W.34-1939 to W.37-1938, a centre table, tripod table, armillary sphere and gate-leg table, were bought for the Museum by the National Art Collections Fund from the estate of Percival Griffiths (1861-1937). A mirror, W.39-1938 was also given by his widow, Mrs Percival Griffiths, in his memory. Percival Griffiths, a partner in the accountancy firm Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co., who lived at Sandridgebury, Hertfordshire, formed a collection of English furniture dating from the late 17th and early 18th century under the guidance of R.W. Symonds, the prolific writer on English furniture. The Symonds papers are held by Winterthur Museum in the USA. With the Symonds papers is an album of photographs labelled ‘Furniture Sandridgebury No 1’. R W Symonds’ book ‘English Furniture from Charles II to George II’ (1929) is illustrated with items from the Sandridgebury collection. In the foreword Griffiths writes of his experience and philosophy as a collector. Symonds wrote a ‘Portrait of a Collector’ about Percival Griffiths, in Country Life, June 13, 1952. See also 'Intuitively Collected', by Simon Houfe, Country Life 27 December 1990.

W.39-1938