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American, probably New York New York City

Looking Glass, ca. 1785-1815

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

American

Title

Looking Glass

Year

ca. 1785-1815

Medium

Mahogany, pine, mahogany veneer

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • pine,
  • mahogany veneer

Dimensions

139.1 x 58.4 cm (54 3/4 x 23 inches)

Place

probably; New York; New York City

Type

  • Decorative Arts,
  • Furniture

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

31.144

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

As America began to form visual representations of its chosen philosophical values, it looked to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. Architecture and art of all forms incorporated classical elements, seen in the broken pediment with scrolls ending in rosettes at the top of the mirror. Known as the Federal style in the United States, the adaption of ancient design into American decorative arts flourished between 1780 and 1830. A classical urn filled with elegant foliage crowns this looking glass, while the three-dimensionally rendered gilded bell flowers that descend the mirror’s side echo the inlaid versions on the card tables’ legs below.

18th and 19th-Century American Galleries

Charles Pendleton House

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Looking Glass with the accession number of 31.144. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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