The oldest Mirrors, dating credibly between 1500 and 2000 years old before Jesus-Christ, have been discovered in the western South of Iran, in Suse.
These primitive mirrors present themselves under the form of shape of bronze polite disks which one vocation of to reflect the images.

The mirror establishes one of the themes of the Greek, rich mythology legendes, notably that of Narcissus, young man of a great beauty which fell passionately in love of his image by contemplating himself on a fountain water. We tell that he died beacause he wasn't be able to seize this other one and, onthe place of its death, pushed the flower which wears his name.

The circular modeles with a handle has provide with a reflective face slightly convex.
The small medieval mirror, under its most common shape, is factory with etain, and make the object of a prosperous business, what does not prevent the orfevres to make for the aristocracy some modeles more refined.

During the Renaissance, the glass mirror of Venice exert a sort of monopoly.
From 1650, we almost dont make more noble metal mirror, the decorative interest resides less in their reflective surface than in the frame which surrounds them.

The Louis XIII mirror

Still widely inspirat of his Italian counterpart the Louis XIII mirror remain rare cause of its fragility and its cost of manufacturing. In spite of their scarcity, mirrors appear as the last fashion objects, those of Venice are so much particularly required.

The prepondrance of the glassworkers of Murano be explained without any trouble when we know that they held trade secrets jealously gards. Indeed, to succeed a mirror it was not only advisable to control the process of tinning, but also that to apply on a leaf glass as white as possible to preserve all the qualitys of glare and luminosity. For the second half of XVe centuries, the glassworkers of Murano had known how to to impose themself like master in the control of making a crystal clear and white glass.

The modeles of mirrors are characterized, by their shape edge, rectangular, even octagonal, and their mirrors at the edges sometimes biseauts.The richest framed mirrors of broad and thick ebony mouldings was decorate of silver patches or of gilded copper with pushed back decorations. We met also mirrors in veneer of walnut or of scale.

The Louis XIV mirror

Mirrors are left more than ever by luxury objects but they are not any more reserved to the royal office as it was the case in the XVIth centuries.The foundation of the royal Factory of Mirrors is on the site of the abbaye picarde of Saint-Gobain.

At the end of the XVIIth centuries, two thirds of the Parisian homes had been able to acquire a mirror who passed of statute of " jewel" to decorative object. One of its most spectacular uses in the field of architecture during the time Louis XIV was the installation of the famous Mirrors Gallery on the Versailles castel.

We find on this time some small decorates on pushed back copper motives modeles, usually surmounted by a triangular shape pediment and sometimes furnished by parecloses. The framing is often realise in even wooden magnifying glass darkened. Big mirrors Louis XIV doubles wooden frame gilded are the most spectacular. Baguettes of framing are decotate style Bérain and contain coinons openwork.

The Régence mirror

The decoration interior is cobare as an intgrant set walk panelling and freeze of pier glasses. We put from now on forward the comfort and intimacy to break with the solemnity of the reign of louis XIV.

Under the Regence, the big mirrors of pier glasses meet in the reception room. Big wooden mirrors out of wooden gilded decorated of parecloses continue to be a sharp success. The classic model of the regence is still emphasized by a front wall decorate with a spectacular animated cartridge which appears largely deployed. Of this principal motive generally leaves an tangle of rinceaux and festoons of flowers.

The Louis XV mirror

The mirror dealers of the Saint-Antoine suburb received the glasses of mirrors manufactured at Saint-Gobain that they polished and recovered of tin and quicksilver, this last operation establishing constituting tinning. Employs of some quicksilver, call also mercury was particularly harmful for the health of the persons which treated it. It will be necessary to wait for the middle of 1850 years for a certain Petit-Jean succeeds in replacing mercury tinning used since XVe centuries by sylver tinning.

The reign of Louis XV marks the big time of carved and gilded wooden pier glasses surmounted by a painting decoration of scene courteous in Boucher taste. The use of the parecloses always remains but it tend to be erased for the benefit of gilded and carved wooden borders.Testifying of a big wealth, these last in a first time show all the extravagances of the style loose stones, asymmetry being the rule.
The Louis XV style becomes wise and opts for the ornament more symtrique before to evolve towards the neo-classic appeared by 1750 and which will put a score of year to be essential.
In the catgorie of the small rest mirrors, it is advisable to grant a particular place to the mirrors of dress, which, at the time of Louis XV are generally out of bronze.

The Transition mirror Louis XV-Louis XVI

A new taste appears as of the years 1750, taking his sources in antiquities gréco-Roman. The neo-classic which claims the triumph of the right line and ornaments in "Greek" style find its full blooming with the Louis XVI style. So, from 1760 and during about approximately ten years, decorative arts are registered in this classic traditional repertory characterizing the future style Louis XVI.

The shape of the wooden mirrors gilded remains still jig-sawn, the decorative ornaments testify to a sensitive evolution. Acanthuses sheets, falls of laurels, frieze of post, grooves, nuds of ribbon, antique vases or flowers jars has appears among the motives most appreciated. On their sides, provençaux models emphasizes a ra more specific repertory of vine branches of vineyard, of sigh and of bunches of flowers.

The Louis XVI and directory mirror

The wooden gilded mirrors Louis XVI simplify themselves and become rectilinear, the framing sometimes limiting itself to a baguette lines with pearls or with ray of cur. Very diversified, reasons for the repertory neo-classic triumph during this time, revealing flowery vases, doves, trophes of music instruments, gardening or hunting.Towards the end of this time, we see multiplying mirrors orns of military sculpts front wall: helmets, drums, shields and flags.

With the Directory, the decline of the mirrors considered hitherto as luxurious objects starts decorative.The models of this time are rather similar to those of the period Louis XVI, if it is not that the lines become more sober and decoration stripped readily more.

The Worsens mirror

Psyché, invented at the end of the XVIIIe centuries, takes the shape of a large mobile mirror supported by two upright vertical, posed on a hollow basis or feet sometimes finished out of claws of Lion.With the empire the golden age of the great French traditional styles is completed.

The Restoration and Charles X mirror

The development of the Middle-class under the Restoration and the reign of Charles X gives a second breath to the mirror which between definitively during its industrial time.

Their framing appear generally decorated with moulded decorations.Mix of plaster and of glue, the stucco makes it possible to carry out ornaments in a minimum of time. One is satisfied to generally reproduce reasons borrowed from the preceding styles. Gilding offers the characteristic to present a double brilliant patina and subdue, the polishing of the mirror is done with agate.Very refined, the mirrors Charles X remain rare.

The Louis-Philippe mirror

During the Louis-Philippe reign, it is a middle-class style which develops, less concerned originality than comfort.The interior decoration mixes in an eclectic way the most various styles.
The large mirrors installed on walked bring a little clearness and of prospect in the room of life.
The models, of forms rectangular deprived of pediment, have angles rounded in their higher part.Gilded with the sheet and raised of chechmate part and brilliant, these mirrors are announced by their sober framing engraved with row of pearls.

The Napoléon III and end of centuries mirror

The second empire marks a new technical projection.
The mirrors are announced by their exuberant ornamentation. The taste of the pastiche seizes the manufacturers who imitate successfully all the last styles.Those in stucco and gilded wood join again with the tradition of the mirrors with parecloses and testify to a very beautiful quality of execution.
Most spectacular and typical are decorated with sheets of acanthus and draperies. Medallions out of engraved glass appear sometimes with the often framed pediment of vases.
The mirror of chimney is a great success until the end of the century. Old bevels sizes with the hand yield the place to modern bevels appeared as of the halves of the XIXe century. The decoration of the pediment with openwork reason for flowered basket points out the beautiful models of the XVIIIe century, the overload of the reasons is very revealing spirit Napoleon III.The mirror of chimney is a great success until the end of the century. Old bevels sizes with the hand yield the place to modern bevels appeared as of the halves of the XIXe century.