Large William IV period English gilt wood over-mantle mirror after Chippendale

This exceptional over-mantle mirror has a prestigious provenance, having been in the collection of a renowned English aristocratic family. The work is surmounted by a spread eagle bearing rose flower swags in its beak above an arched galleried cornice hung with rock work and flanked by putti with further swags; at the centre of the work is the representation of a balcony with a female figure of Columbine reaching downwards towards standing figures of Harlequin and Pierrot; towards the base of the work are further rock work and acanthus wrapped C-scroll and S-scroll divisions, the base itself is centred by a shell and C-scroll clasp.

This stunning over-mantel mirror follows the design published by Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779), in the 3rd edition of his 'Gentleman and Cabinetmaker's Director' (1762), plate CLXXXII. The characters displayed on the mirror are Columbine, Harlequin and Pierrot, whose amorous misadventures were a common theme in the Commedia dell'Arte, the Italian theatre that originated in the mid 16th century and remained popular in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The mirror was in the collection of Captain Napier George Henry Sturt, 3rd Baron Alington (d. 1940) at Crichel House, Dorset. It had reputedly been removed earlier to a loft by Charles Sturt, presumably in the early 19th century, but was recovered in the late 19th century by the 3rd Baron who, overseeing lumber being removed from the house, spotted the dusty giltwood and requested that it be taken down from the cart. The mirror was then fitted above the chimney-piece in the Great Drawing Room at Crichel.