French Napoleon III Oval Wall Mirror w/ Faux Wood Painted Frame -29½"x 23¼"

This French oval wall mirror from the Napoleon III period features a shaped, scalloped profile with an inner beaded slip and a ripple-molded outer edge. The wooden frame is painted to imitate figured wood grain in deep chocolate and umber tones, highlighted by black accents along the rippled borders. The antique beveled plate shows attractive speckling, gentle waviness, and scattered pitting to the silvering, all of which yield a softly diffused reflection. Minor abrasions and small losses to the painted finish further enhance its authentic patina.

This piece reflects the Second Empire taste for rich, dark finishes and refined ornament. Painted graining was a skilled decorative technique used to emulate costly walnut or mahogany, while the ripple and beaded moldings recall Dutch and Rococo revivals fashionable again in nineteenth-century France.

Adding light and depth, this mirror works beautifully in both classic rooms and collected, layered spaces. Hang it above a console in an entry, over a mantel to soften a sitting room, or in a powder room where the mottled plate adds charm without glare. It also works well in a gallery wall, mixed with gilt and ebonized frames, or flanked by brass sconces to amplify the depth of its timeworn surface.

A similar mirror is available here for separate purchase.