Not currently on display at the V&A

Mirror

ca. 1550 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Milan (made)

Burnished metal mirror, in a stand of steel damascened with gold and silver. The frame, of architectural design, is supported on scrolls which rest on a square base, with scrolled angles and feet. The whole covered with medallions of classical subjects, arabesques, cartouches, &c., in gold and silver. At the back of the mirror are figures of Jesus and of angels in niches; in front are classical figures. The whole surmounted by a group of Venus and Cupid. [From original registered description]


Object details
Category
Metalwork
Object type
Mirror
Materials and techniques
Ironwork, damascened with gold and silver
Iron
Silver
Gold
Damascening
Brief description
Mirror, Iron damascened with silver and gold, Milan, about 1550
Physical description
Burnished metal mirror, in a stand of steel damascened with gold and silver. The frame, of architectural design, is supported on scrolls which rest on a square base, with scrolled angles and feet. The whole covered with medallions of classical subjects, arabesques, cartouches, &c., in gold and silver. At the back of the mirror are figures of Jesus and of angels in niches; in front are classical figures. The whole surmounted by a group of Venus and Cupid. [From original registered description]
Dimensions
  • From 19thc measurement height: 117cm
  • Base width: 63.5cm
  • Base depth: 46cm
Style
Renaissance
Gallery label
MIRROR Iron, damascened with gold and silver Italian (Milan); about 1550 The elaborate decoration of the front and back combines religious and secular scenes. It is supposed to have been made for an unknown member of the House of Savoy, rulers of the Duchy of Savoy (now part of France). Formerly in the collections of Monsieur Debruge-Duménil and Prince Soltykoff.
Object history
This object was formerly in the Debruge-Dumenil and Soltikoff collections. It was said to have been made for a member of the House of Savoy.
Bibliographic references
  • Arquié-Bruley, F. Debruge-Duménil (1788-1838) et sa collection d'objets d'art. Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa: Classe di Lettere e Filosofia, series 3. 1990, vol. 20, no.1. pp. 211-248.
  • Leydi, Silvio. Mobili milanesi in acciaio e metalli preziosi nell'età del Manierismo. In: Fatto in Italia. Dal Medioevo al Made in Italy, ed. by Alessandra Guerrini, with Barbara Brondi and Marco Rainò. Catalogue of the exhibition at Reggia di Venaria, 19 March - 10 July 2016. Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2016, pp. 120-137.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
7648-1861

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Record createdNovember 12, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O140621/mirror-unknown/
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