…who is the fairest of them all? Narcissus’s self-love aside, mystic people world over stare into reflective objects – mirrors, crystal balls, water, and so on to admire, analyze, criticize all of which is centered on the contemplation of self. The ancients buried people with mirrors thinking that these magical surfaces would capture the soul and help to preserve the afterlife and the Chinese placed them on their backs to defend themselves from malevolent forces. No longer seen in this mythical context, today’s style lexicon - ingenuity, creativity and technology - has raised the mirror’s status to art. Whether it’s to capture the eye when entering a room, create the illusion of space, or offer a reflection of a sweeping panorama, designers and artists alike have left their creative imprint as the mirror’s historical place as a functional object has been transformed into an object of desire.
Lobmeyr Orchid Collection
Lobmeyr Orchid Mirror No. 1 in White Crystal
Florian Ladstátter 2007
Orchids are exotic, romantic, and stunningly beautiful. When J and L Lobmeyr commissioned Austrian Jewelry designer Florian Ladstátter to reinterpret its classical rococo style mirrors based on six historical templates in the company’s archives, Ladstátter who has worked with orchid shapes in his jewelry designs, cut the flower’s petals around a center to create a three dimensional structure for an abstract look. Using a reflective glass in black reverses the mirror’s original function, but creates an interpretive object that solely reflects light. (Shown here is a mirrored white crystal.) The orchids are made of 20”-30” in diameter and larger versions can be designed on order. http://www.kneenandco.com/ (312) 787-7003
A straight on focal point in any room, designers Curtis Jere (a duo creative team) designed a playful sunburst with rays emanating from the center to represent the continuity of life. High on any decorator’s list, Curtis Jere are known for their innovative metal wall sculptures. Leaning more toward an architectural structure, the constructed thin copper wire surrounds a perfectly round mirror. http://vandm.com/CainModern, (310) 652-6045.
Shimizu Hisakazu Hairstyle Mirrors 2009
hasegawa heizo a famous inspector for arson and thefts in the mid edo period
Japanese industrial designer Hisakazu Shimizu and design director Eizo Okada presented a series, “Hairstyle Mirrors”, in exhibitions in Paris and Japan based on hairstyles of well known figures in Japanese history. These mirrors are comical and cartoonish yet offer the customary Japanese wisdom since Shimizu believes that a hairstyle represents a person’s identity (or trademark). Parisian hair salons purchased several mirrors. Très chic.
French Art Deco Wrought Iron Wall Mirror in the Manner of Paul Kiss
from VandM.com Dealer Vintage Views
from VandM.com Dealer Vintage Views
ca. 1920s or 1930s
38”Hx22”wx1.3”D
96.5cm H x 55.9 cm W x 3.2 cm D
96.5cm H x 55.9 cm W x 3.2 cm D
VandM.com trend guru, Bill Indursky, offered advance word on trends for 2011 citing Deco as on track to be back in vogue. A look at this French Deco mirror with its intricately designed flowers and sinewy curving lines is styled in the manner of French master Paul Kiss who was well known in Paris for his ornamental, high quality ironwork. Further details on the mirror at http://vandm.com/VintageViews, (201) 232-4280.
Medusa by Caravaggio (after 1590)
Slightly left of center, but a must mention is Caravaggio’s famous image of the Medusa. The physiognomic expression is emphasized on a roundel of wood, yet behind the distorted features one can still perceive the family resemblance of this snake-haired demon to the face of the Bacchus. Caravaggio transformed the reflection of his face in a mirror into a fantastic image in mythological guise. Now, that’s original. On view @ the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
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