An interesting Federal (maybe) mirror

 

You don't usually see many of these mirrors with the spherules set in the side columns. Whether they just weren't popular (or proved too annoying to dust and were discarded), they seem to account for only about one percent of the mirrors I see. So, it was a bit surprising that I came upon two of them at an antique show last week, and then found this one in a group shop on Cape Cod.


I haven't fully dismantled and explored it, but I question the age of it, in spite of the fact that it does have some old repairs. Perhaps I will be able to determine if it is of period, with signs of age obscured due to the restorations, or, as I suspect, the product of some early 20th century manufacture.

The reverse painted panel is definitely not of the Federal period, but I don't know if was a replacement for an earlier one, or one created at the time of this mirror. It has a certain charm, but looks a bit "cottagey" for this formal style of mirror.

My plans are to do a couple minor touch-ups, and create a more appropriate eglomise panel.