A PAIR OF GERMAN FORGED IRON OR STEEL MIRRORS PROBABLY AUGSBERG OR NURENBURG

A PAIR OF GERMAN FORGED IRON OR STEEL MIRRORS PROBABLY AUGSBERG OR NURENBURG, PROBABLY 17TH CENTURY The pierced scrolling frames surmounted by mermaids with cherub masks to the side and base, the mirror plates later, probably originally picture frames, possibly previously decorated 132cm high, 97cm wide, 5cm deep SALEROOM NOTICE: Please note the catalogue text for this has now been updated. The correct text is as per our website and not as shown in the printed catalogue Provenance: One from: Alessandro Cesati, Milan, where purchased by Count Manfredi della Gherardesca The second from: Hampel Kunstauktionen, Germany, where purchased by Count Manfredi della Gherardesca This unusual pair of German mirrors is an interpretation of the Baroque style of the 17th century. Mermaids were a fashionable decorative motif in the 17th century appearing as carving on tables, bed and mirror frames, here the mermaids were probably inspired by a sketch by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), Das Lüsterweibchen (1513, Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna, illustrated in H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1968, vol. I, fig. 356). In the 17th century, German craftsmen used a variety of materials to produce highly decorative frames for mirrors with particular regions famed for their use of specific materials such as Augsburg (metalwares including gold and silver), Dresden (amber) and Munich (ivory), while in Flanders, gilt metal frames pierced with scrolls, fruit and flowers were fashionable in the 1650s. However, until at least the 19th century it was relatively rare for furniture to be made entirely of iron or steel, an exception being secure chests or strong boxes made of iron or steel such as a 17th century German 'Armada' chest with mermaids, sold Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 10 November 2018, lot 28, and door furniture like locks, handles and hinges. A seemingly unique comparison is a 16th century iron frame in the MAK, Vienna (EI 269).