Hall Mirror Questions

Greetings! I purchased this full length Hall Mirror at auction as a project piece and I have some questions.

• Any idea of the age or 'style'? There are no makers marks on the piece. It's 94" by 26"
• Looks American and made of Cherry wood to me but the veneer may be mahogany?
• What would you expect to be on the bottom shelf? I've seen them with rectangular or shaped marble. Is it a seat or a shelf to put some decorative item?
• There are pieces of the top details missing, anyone know of a mail order house which supplies these types of things?
• The bottom panel is plywood (perhaps 3 layer; see photo) and the only the top layer is carved. Is this a replacement panel?
• The top suffers from a botched repair attempt. Modern wire nails were used to secure pieces (see photo) but next to these are what appear to be older square headed nails. Are these older nails original or left over from an older repair?
• It looks like the bottom 12” or so is water damaged, the plywood panel is de-laminating. Anyone know how to stabilize this panel to keep if from further damage?
  
  Thanks in advance!
  

 

Commonly called a pier mirror I believe.

Victorian/Eastlake style.

Looks walnut to me.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=vic...DIuMzKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img

 

Ca. 1880 walnut Renaissance Revival pier mirror with gilt highlights. Missing the top crest. The bottom shelf would have held a small piece of marble for display purposes. Older nails would be original. You can easily get another piece of chamfered marble, the crest will be more problematic, but can be fixed by a good cabinet maker.

 

Thanks Ghopper. Would the 'plywood' have been widely available in 1880 or would it have been layed up by the shop that built the piece? (Cited from: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/hall-mirror-questions.66226/)

 

Widely available, though any decent shop could probably have made their own.

Repair slowly using wood glue, and wood clamps buffered with cloths. The internet should help with tutorials.

 

There is a reason for that, it won't fit a standard 8-foot ceiling!
It's at 94 inches without the crest so...........

 

Looks like Joe could handle it, especially if the crest will be custom made.