545 - Pier mirror with columns, cornice and string inlays, probably cherry wood, Biedermeier circa 1830/40

Pier mirror with columns, cornice and string inlays, probably cherry wood, Biedermeier circa 1830/40 Wood and mirror glass. Pier mirror, also wall mirror, Biedermeier circa 1830/40, the front probably veneered in cherry wood with lively, flamed grain. At the top a projecting, multi-profiled cornice, below an attic with a recessed rectangular panel framed by black string inlays, profiled pilasters at the sides. Below, the entablature zone with curved, offset consoles and two panels with string inlays. Upright rectangular mirror glass, at the sides two free-standing round columns with dark, carved leaf capitals and turned bases. Curved base with offset, rounded corner blocks and two panels with black string inlays. Back of softwood, dark, with wire hanger. Good, used condition commensurate with age, the mirror slightly spotted. 129x66x9 cm (HxWxD) The Biedermeier period spans the years 1815 to 1848; the name itself was only coined in the 1850s. The furniture of this era shows simple, functional forms with a clear, rectangular structure and largely dispenses with ornament so that the natural grain of the woods comes into its own; walnut, cherry, ash and mahogany were preferred. The pier mirror is a narrow, tall wall mirror that originally hung above a matching console or chest of drawers. In large rooms such mirrors were placed on the wall sections between the windows, where they reflected the light and the chandeliers and gave the room breadth and brightness.