Chinese Mirror with Calligraphy Motif

Mirror hemmed in by carved panels and tall columns of characters, all very formal.

This mirror with calligraphy motif is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is carved, lacquered & gilded wood. Once China slowly opened to visiting diplomats and businessmen, a trickle of antique furniture leaving the country became a flood that lasted through the 1980s, the 1990s and into the early 2000s. The central glass is bordered by tall side strips carved with vertical lines of characters, and a top band with leafy scrolls and an animal. The frame is red-brown with darker recessed carving and some darkening at the edges. It is 45 inches long, 2 deep and 41 high.

Plenty of good wishes, plus a surface for checking the hair.