Repousse Brass Decorated Rare Antique Octagonal Mirror, circa 1880

View Similar Items

Antique Octagonal Mirror With Winged Angel Decoration

Antique French Louis-Philippe Style Mirror With Imitation Wood Decor, circa 1880

Antique Swedish Paint Decorated Mirror, over the Mantle or Fireplace Mirror

Bespoke Octagonal Pink Murano Glass and Brass Mirror, in Stock

All-Glass Italian Octagonal Mirror

Beautiful Late 19th Century French Richly Decorated Brass Mirror

Rare French Antique Trumeau Mirror Louis XVI Style Romantic Painting, circa 1930

Octagonal Mirror in Celluloid Mosaic

Antique 19th Century Dutch Brass Repousse Cushion Mirror, circa 1880

1970s Octagonal Brass and Ivory Lacquer Mirror by Jean Claude Mahey

Multi-Facets Mirror with Brass Garlands, French, circa 1970

Antique Brass Federal Round Wall Mirror

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 2

Repousse Brass Decorated Rare Antique Octagonal Mirror, circa 1880

About the Item

Repoussé or repoussage is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. It is a form of toreutics. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical. Chasing is the opposite of repoussé, and the two are used in conjunction to create a finished piece. It is also known as embossing. While repoussé is used to work on the reverse of the metal to form a raised design on the front, chasing is used to refine the design on the front of the work by sinking the metal. The term chasing is derived from the noun "chase", which refers to a groove, furrow, channel, or indentation. The adjectival form is "chased work". The techniques of repoussé and chasing use the plasticity of metal, forming shapes by degrees. There is no loss of metal in the process as it is stretched locally and the surface remains continuous. The process is relatively slow but a maximum of form is achieved, with one continuous surface of sheet metal of essentially the same thickness. Direct contact of the tools used is usually visible in the result, a condition not always apparent in other techniques, where all evidence of the working method is eliminated. An example from antiquity is the late Eighteenth Dynasty mummy mask of Tutankhamun. The lapis lazuli and other stones were inlaid in chased areas after the height of the form was completed. The majority of the mask was formed using the technique of repoussé from what appears to be a single sheet of gold (the ceremonial beard, Nekhbet vulture, and Uraeus were attached separately). The Warren Cup is a Roman silver cup, and the Mildenhall Treasure, the Hoxne Hoard, the Water Newton Treasure and the Berthouville Treasure are examples of hoards of Roman silver found in England and northern France with many pieces using these techniques. The prehistoric Gundestrup cauldron has relief panels on separate thin sheets on both the inside and outside. The largest known sculpture created with this technique is the Statue of Liberty, properly Liberté éclairant le monde, which translates as “Liberty Enlightening The World,” in Upper New York Bay. The statue was formed by copper repoussé in sections using wooden structures to shape each piece during the hammering process. A second example of monumental copper repoussé sculpture is Portlandia by Raymond Kaskey, which was installed in 1985 in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Dimensions:
Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Style:
Baroque (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Mirror
Place of Origin:
Unknown
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1880
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. There is a little missing part on the left. Original / authentic as it comes from the castle. We provide any Restoration for every individual wish.
Seller Location:
Sofia, BG
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2423310925333