Looking Glass

Public Domain

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CultureEnglish or American

Titles

Looking Glass

Datec. 1750–1820

Possible placeUnited States

Possible placeEngland

MediumMahogany veneer, unidentified secondary woods, gold leaf, and mirrored glass

Dimensions34 × 19 1/8 × 1 1/8 in. (86.4 × 48.6 × 2.9 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Mary Catherine Miller

Object numberB.2012.205

Current Location

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

Massachusetts Room

On view

Explore Further

Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

FURNITURE

DescriptionThis looking glass, distinguished by the carved and gilded phoenix positioned in its pierced crest, is evocative of the popular interpretation of the rococo idiom on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. By the mid-18th century the mythological Egyptian bird, which according to tradition consumed itself by fire and then rose from its ashes, enjoyed a renewal that closely identified it with the modern aesthetic. If not a phoenix, as an alternative related frames were fashioned with asymmetrical foliage or Baroque shells. The design is one that was initially advanced in England; however, models intended for the export trade provided an inspiration and template for some of the earliest American-made looking glasses.
ProvenanceMary Catherine Miller, Houston; given to MFAH, 2012.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Faint, on the backside, at center: Beckett [?]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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