Antique Tramp Art Folk Art Distressed Mirror, Austria, 1890s

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Description

Antique Tramp Art Mirror with Carved Rosettes, Original Distressed Glass, Early 20th Century, Austria (we've kept Austria as this is … Read more Antique Tramp Art Mirror with Carved Rosettes, Original Distressed Glass, Early 20th Century, Austria (we've kept Austria as this is where we found it, but some of the backing indicates Strasbourg, Germany).

Large tramp art wall mirror, made in the early 20th century. The frame is chip-carved and built up in layers, with eight large stepped roundels at the corners and mid-sides, each with a carved star at the centre. Between them, fan-shaped sections of notched strips flare out around the glass, and small carved star rosettes sit at the inner corners. The outline is irregular, as is typical of handmade tramp art. The frame has a dark, aged patina with wear to the high points.

The mirror plate is old silvered glass with age-related deterioration: fine speckling across the surface, several larger dark areas of silvering loss, and some crazing. It has not been restored or resilvered. It reflects, but with the softened, spotted look of old mirror glass (a black backing was placed as some parts of the mirror plate were see-through).

The frame is solid and stable. There are a few small hairline cracks and minor losses to the carving, consistent with age. The back has been replaced with a new board. Strips of the earlier German-language newspaper backing remain on the frame rails. The paper is from Strasbourg and dates to before 1918.

Fitted with a wire for hanging.

Dimensions: 76 cm high x 64 cm wide (29.9 x 25.2 in). See less