Empire Style Pier Mirror with Black Palmette Frieze, France, 1850

An antique French Empire style pier mirror with bevelled glass in a red-brown painted oak frame, made around 1850. The top is crowned by a moulded cornice above a deep black frieze, carved with a repeating palmette and scroll pattern. Below it, two gold-coloured flower ornaments with hanging leaves sit in the upper corners, and matching gold-coloured ornaments decorate the lower corners. A fine gold-coloured bead edge runs around the glass, and the sides of the frame are decorated with a slim gold-coloured border. The contrast between the warm red-brown paint, the black frieze and the gold-coloured details gives the mirror a rich, architectural look that is typical of the Empire style. An elegant antique mirror to hang above a console, a chest of drawers or a fireplace, in a classic or a more contemporary interior. Condition: good antique condition. The mirror glass is a later replacement. Wear and small chips to the paint on the edges.