-
Mirror frame
Unknown - Enlarge image
Mirror frame
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1660-1680 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Border of satin, embroidered with silk and metal thread, framed in wood painted to imitate lacquer
- Museum number:
351-1886
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Object Type
Mirror glass had a considerable intrinsic value in the 17th century, and the presence of a relatively small piece could be increased with a broad decorated frame. The decoration of mirror frames with a wide inner border of embroidery like this one seems to have been a popular accomplishment of amateur needlewomen particularly between about 1660 and 1680.
Design & Designing
The subjects and styles of embroidery chosen for mirror frames were close to those used for caskets, pictures, and other domestic items worked at home. Motifs were copied from pattern books and prints, or the satin panels could be bought already drawn out as 'kits'.
Subjects Depicted
This mirror has a king and queen flanking its centre, which was one of the most popular choices of subject. Sometimes they were specifically depicted as King Charles II and Queen Catherine of Braganza, and sometimes they were stock figures who could be representing King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, or other kings and queens from the Old Testament of the Bible.
