Collections: Decorative Arts: Looking Glass

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Looking Glass

• Medium: Mahogany, walnut veneer, spruce
• Geographical Locations:
  • Possible place made: England
  • Possible place made: USA
• Dates: ca.1740-1780
• Dimensions: 56.5 x 29.5 x 3.25 in. (143.5 x 74.9 x 8.3 cm)
• Collections: Decorative Arts
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor
• Accession Number: 1997.150.23
• Credit Line: Matthew Scott Sloan Collection, Gift of Lidie Lane Sloan McBurney
• Image: Overall, 1997.150.23_transp696.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Looking Glass, ca.1740-1780. Mahogany, walnut veneer, spruce, 56.5 x 29.5 x 3.25 in. (143.5 x 74.9 x 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Matthew Scott Sloan Collection, Gift of Lidie Lane Sloan McBurney, 1997.150.23 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.150.23_transp696.jpg)
• Catalogue Description: Chippendale style looking glass. Overall irregular rectangular shape with gilt and scrolled edges. Crest: pediment-shaped crest with edge outlined by carved and gilded foliage and flames; finial is gilded urn with blossoms and foliage. Sides: gilded egg-and-dart molding on edge outlined with gilded pendant foliage. Base: gilded foliate c-scrolls at outer edge of base; sprays of folliage curve up at jointures of c-scrolls; some slightly asymmetrical flame-like carving below c-scrolls. Beveled sight edge is shaped by series of gilded s-scrolls; all four corners of sight edge carved with flame-like decoration. Plain unleveled glass. Gilding: some ornament is water gilded with gesso ground and layers of bole in various colors (red, blue, pink, yellow, or white); some ornament might be oil gilded. Some cracks in veneer and applied ornament; some missing and retouched gilding; flower missing from pendant foliage on left; lower portion of pendant foliage missing on both sides; glass not original. CONDITION: Ornament and molding separated from substrate; cracks in applied ornament; cracks in veneer. Flower missing from pendant foliage on left; lower portion of pendant foliage missing on both sides. Some missing gilding; missing gilding retouched in places. Glass not original.