Venetian Mercury Mirror
Mid-20th Century Spanish Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique 1760s Italian Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood
Antique 1850s Italian Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Rococo Wall Mirrors
Wood, Glass, Gesso
Mid-20th Century Italian Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Mirror
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Mirror
Vintage 1940s Italian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror
20th Century European Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Antique 18th Century Italian Baroque Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Early 1700s Italian Baroque Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood
Antique Early 18th Century Italian Rococo Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Baroque Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood, Lacquer
Antique 18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Lacquer, Giltwood
Antique 1780s Italian Wall Mirrors
Fruitwood
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Wall Mirrors
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Antique 19th Century Italian Rococo Wall Mirrors
Glass, Paint, Wood
Antique 1880s Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Renaissance Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass, Mirror
Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Scrap Wood, Art Glass
Antique 1850s Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Napoleon III Wall Mirrors
Wood
Antique Early 1900s Italian Baroque Revival Wall Mirrors
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Mirror, Murano Glass
Antique Early 18th Century European Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Walnut
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Floor Mirrors and Full-Length ...
Mercury Glass, Wood
Antique 18th Century Italian Baroque Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
Antique 1750s Italian Girandoles
Crystal
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood
Antique 1860s French More Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique 1880s French More Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique 1860s Italian More Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1980s Italian Rococo Revival Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Baroque Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Wall Mirrors
Brass
2010s Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass
2010s Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass
2010s Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass
Antique Early 18th Century Italian Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Wall Mirrors
Glass
Antique Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Wall Mirrors
Brass
Vintage 1950s Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Antique 1750s Italian Rococo Wall Mirrors
Walnut
Antique 1880s Italian Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Antique 1850s Italian Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Antique 1850s Italian Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Antique 1780s English George III Wall Mirrors
Mahogany, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Side Tables
Mirror, Wood
Vintage 1940s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Regency Console Tables
Marble
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Art Glass, Mercury Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Art Glass, Mercury Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Antique 1880s Italian Victorian Vanities
Mirror, Satinwood
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Secretaires
Walnut
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Venetian Mercury Mirror For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Venetian Mercury Mirror?
Finding the Right Mirrors for You
The road from early innovations in reflective glass to the alluring antique and vintage mirrors in trendy modern interiors has been a long one but we’re reminded of the journey everywhere we look.
In many respects, wall mirrors, floor mirrors and full-length mirrors are to interior design what jeans are to dressing. Exceedingly versatile. Universally flattering. Unobtrusively elegant. And while all mirrors are not created equal, even in their most elaborate incarnation, they're still the heavy lifters of interior design, visually enlarging and illuminating any space.
We’ve come a great distance from the polished stone that served as mirrors in Central America thousands of years ago or the copper mirrors of Mesopotamia before that. Today’s coveted glass Venetian mirrors, which should be cleaned with a solution of white vinegar and water, were likely produced in Italy beginning in the 1500s, while antique mirrors originating during the 19th century can add the rustic farmhouse feel to your mudroom that you didn’t know you needed.
By the early 20th century, experiments with various alloys allowed for mirrors to be made inexpensively. The geometric shapes and beveled edges that characterize mirrors crafted in the Art Deco style of the 1920s can bring pizzazz to your entryway, while an ornate LaBarge mirror made in the Hollywood Regency style makes a statement in any bedroom. Friedman Brothers is a particularly popular manufacturer known for decorative round and rectangular framed mirrors designed in the Rococo, Louis XVI and other styles, including dramatic wall mirrors framed in gold faux bamboo that bear the hallmarks of Asian design.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, mid-century modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary mirrors. Today’s simple yet chic mantel mirror frames, for example, often neutral in color, owe to the understated mirror designs introduced in the postwar era.
Sculptor and furniture maker Paul Evans had been making collage-style cabinets since at least the late 1950s when he designed his Patchwork mirror — part of a series that yielded expressive works of combined brass, copper and pewter — for Directional Furniture during the mid-1960s. Several books celebrating Evans’s work were published beginning in the early 2000s, as his unconventional furniture has been enjoying a moment not unlike the resurgence that the Ultrafragola mirror is seeing. Designed by the Memphis Group’s Ettore Sottsass in 1970, the Ultrafragola mirror, in all its sensuous acrylic splendor, has become somewhat of a star thanks to much-lauded appearances in shelter magazines and on social media.
On 1stDibs, we have a broad selection of vintage and antique mirrors and tips on how to style your contemporary mirror too.
- What is a mercury mirror?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A mercury mirror is a type of wall mirror that features mercury glass inside of a decorative frame. Mercury glass is the term for two panes of glass separated by silvering material. Early examples feature real mercury, while ones produced after the 1840s usually substitute silver nitrate. On 1stDibs, shop a range of mercury mirrors.
- What is a Venetian mirror?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 21, 2020
While polished metal mirrors have existed since ancient times, glass Venetian mirrors are thought to have first been produced on the Venetian island of Murano, in Italy, beginning in the 1500s (some research points to 1300 for Venetian mirrors). Set in ornate frames frequently bedecked with gold highlights or floral leaf designs, Venetian glass mirrors were handmade by artisans using refined, expert techniques for royalty and for members of the upper class. By the 17th century, Venetian mirrors were in high demand. Because antique Venetian glass mirrors are still very popular today, there are many knockoffs on the market. Today’s authentic Venetian mirrors are still produced only on the island of Murano.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Mercury mirrors were made with a thicker glass layer than modern mirrors, so one way of identifying a mercury mirror is to test the thickness. Take an object like a pen or toothpick and press it against the mirror. If the object looks like it’s touching its own reflection, then the mirror is thin and not a mercury mirror. However, if the object appears separate from its reflection, the thickness indicates that it’s probably a mercury mirror. Shop a collection of antique mercury mirrors from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- Why was mercury used in mirrors?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Mercury was used in mirrors in the form of mercury amalgam. This substance was used because of its highly reflective property when applied on a surface. Shop an array of antique mercury mirrors from top sellers around the world on 1stDibs.
- How do I clean Venetian mirrors?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To clean Venetian mirrors, mix one part white vinegar with two parts warm water. Dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with the solution and wipe down the mirror. Then, wipe it again with a second cloth moistened only with water. Dry with a lint-free cloth. Find a variety of antique Venetian mirrors on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 21, 2020
Regular glass cleaners don’t contain that much vinegar. This means that these cleaners are good for mild cleansing, but for antique glass Venetian mirrors, which tend to get cloudy, a more thorough way to clean is to use only white vinegar. Dampen a clean soft cloth with a solution of white vinegar and water (one part vinegar to two parts water) and apply to your Venetian glass mirror. After you’ve cleaned your Venetian mirror with vinegar, clean the mirror with warm water on a soft cloth in order to get rid of the vinegar smell. Alternatively, if you have difficulty with the smell of vinegar, use rubbing alcohol instead (but be sure that you’re only applying these methods to the glass rather than the frame).
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 21, 2020
Repairs and replacements can go toward devaluing any piece of antique or vintage furniture, and any modifications or repairs done to a centuries-old mirror should be handled by experts and executed with care. Because antique Venetian mirrors were handcrafted by Italian artisans and can in some cases be hundreds of years old, it is strongly recommended that you consult with experts in the field of restoring antique or decorative mirrors in the event that your piece should require restorative work.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 21, 2020
Ornate and elegant, Venetian mirrors obviously have their practical uses for any room in your house or apartment, but these works, which were handcrafted by skilled artisans on the Venetian island of Murano, in Italy, for centuries, are versatile. Given the broad array of shapes and sizes in which antique Venetian glass mirrors can be found — as well as the variety of designs — these mirrors can also be utilized as a decorative focal point, as if you’re hanging a painting or positioning a sculpture to brighten an otherwise drab corner of your home. Antique Venetian mirrors can be used in formal dining settings, where the opportunity for reflecting chandelier light or natural light from large windows is present, or even a bathroom, where the piece can be as useful as it is tasteful.
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