Featured Help with ID of large antique beveled wall mirror

I purchased this mirror at an auction for $25 because someone had painted the gilding and mahogany wood with spray paint. This mirror is gold gilded with the inset wood being mahogany. The back of this mirror is put together with tongue and groove boards nailed with cut nails. I removed the back boards and the back of the mirror is stamped "sterling silver". Size is 2' 3" wide by 4' tall edge to edge.

 

i believe silver was used to coat glass for mirrors.....but that's cool.

Need photo's.......yum yum.....

 

Hi,
Gorgeous mirror. Are you in the Texas area? Only ask since I gave my mirror to a friend who died later (about 20 years) and lost contact with it. Funny how some things just scream at you. Welcome to the board.
greg

 

Welcome to Antiquers, testdepth. The mirror looks great. You did a good job of removing all of that paint.

 

I am in South East GA. I bought it at an antique auction house here in St. Mary's GA. They went all over to obtain items so it might be possible. When I bought it the gilding was painted black and the mahogany was painted red with little yellow flowers. It took alot of time for my wife and I to remove the paint without damaging the finish.

 

It's probably somewhere between 150yrs to 200yrs old I believe.

 

Testdepth, you & your wife did a great job! That mirror is lovely!

 

Thank you. Quick stripper removal (on and off), soft brushes, dental picks and patience. Hard to believe people want to spray paint something as beautiful as this.

 

Beautiful restoration !!

 

Restoring furniture with layers of paint is a tedious process !! If you have a friendly doctor or vet get a few scalpels from them !! They work wonders on cracks and crevices without damage !!

 

Hi,
Do not forget your dentist. He/she has wonderful "picks" for getting out paint.
greg

 

Beautiful...

 

Worst piece I ever refinished was an original adjustable oak organ/piano stool with ball and claw feet. It was very old and had about 6 coats of paint on it. It took about 2 weeks to pick every last tiny piece of paint out of all of the crevices and pores of the wood. It was solid oak with a back on it. Wish I would have kept that one.

 

I have done many things I would have liked to keep but the owners were not to keen on that idea !! Did your piano stool have glass balls ?? I have had several but luckily none were painted !! Bet it looked great !!

 

Yes it had the glass balls. It had a seat back as well. Normally you see them with just the stool.

 

I had a dresser I should have kept. It was this Empire dresser. When I bought it from a local dealer for $100 someone had painted the entire dresser orange with house paint. I brought it home and wiped across the drawers with stripper and they were beautiful flame mahogany. The entire dresser interior and exterior were solid mahogany. The top was 2 inches solid mahogany.

 

WOW.....A man of PATIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!! (AND your wife, from what you said!) WONDERFUL job on both pieces!!!!!

 

Thankyou!

 

ya you shoulda...but u can't keep everything.....
still....it's stunning !!!

 

Very nice work !! I did the same thing with an empire revival sideboard and grain and all came off !! Had to re-grain the entire top !! Luckily it was just varnished so changed chemicals on the remainder !! No more stripper !! Paid closer attention after that !!