A Pair of Late 17th C. Venetian, Mother-of-Pearl-Inlaid and Giltwood Mirrors

An Important Pair of Late 17th -Early 18th Century Venetian Polychrome-Japanned, Mother-of-Pearl-Inlaid and Giltwood Mirrors, surmounted by acanthus cartouches centered by Chinese figures, flanked to each side by additional smaller polychrome cartouches, above rectangular original mercury glass mirror plates, within moulded frames decorated with polychrome floral, fruit and foilate motifs, each corner inlaid with mother of pearl and scrolling foliage, the lacquer insets and portions of etched shell with some restoration. Cf. The very similar pair sold at Chrisite's London for $300,000 in Sale 3311. 1980, Lot 150. Note: These magnificent mirrors, richly decorated with exotic chinoiseries and mother-of-pearl, typify the fascination Venetian craftsmen had for the alluring products of the Orient, made available through Venice's extensive trade contacts with the East. A Venetian mirror in the National Gallery, Prague, with closely related delicate japanned decoration in combination with mother-of-pearl inlay, but without the exuberant giltwood crestings of these examples, is illustrated in H. Huth, Lacquer of the West, Chicago, 1971, figs, 103-4, while a mirror with similar japanned cartouches to the cresting is illustrated in G. Child, World Mirrors, London, 1990, p. 261, fig. 548.