Large Piedmontese mirror in lacquered wood and pastiglia, 18th century

Large Piedmontese mirror in lacquered wood and pastiglia, 18th century Dimensions: cm W 128 x H 209 x D 8 Price: private negotiation Object accompanied by a certificate of authenticity This large and refined mirror was made in Piedmont around the mid-18th century. Of quadrangular shape, the frame is made of wood with ornaments made of pastiglia. The whole is lacquered in two colors in shades of red and light green. It consists of several parts: the band that delimits the mirror has a mixtilinear and wavy pattern on the short sides and consists of three lacquered pastiglia reserves, with geometric motifs, curls and phytomorphic decorations. In the lower part, this band rests on a straight lacquered wooden element that serves as the base of the mirror. Laterally, a lacquered and flat band is decorated with pastiglia reliefs in the shape of ramage, phytomorphic elements, spirals and curls that embellish the lower and upper portions, up to delimiting the boundaries at the culmination of the upper lateral parts, creating a very refined and elegant jagged movement. The upper portion presents an elaborate decoration composed of pastiglia ornaments that reprise the lateral motifs, developing them with greater richness and centering them with shell elements, in a vegetal and floral shape, with curls and volutes. The mirror is very decorative and elegant, easily placed in any environment, such as an entrance, a study, a living room, a bedroom, suitable to be combined with antique and modern furniture. Very particular for the type of decoration and architectural design, it will soon be subjected to a conservative restoration intervention. Pastiglia is a decorative technique used mainly in the Renaissance, but remained in use until the eighteenth century. It was mainly used for the decoration of furniture, frames, chests, doors. Pastiglia is a mixture based mainly on calcium carbonate. Its processing requires great manual skill: the pastiglia mixture is worked by hand when it is still soft, before it hardens. Over the centuries, molds began to be produced in which the pastiglia was poured and, once solidified, it was applied to the furniture.