Original Barbola frame bevelled mirror with oval wooden frame with rare 'in the full' hand-painted and moulded gesso fruit, flowers and nuts
The Spirit of DIY
Made from gesso paste, this was a lighter, cheaper alternative to carved wood, which was labour intensive, costly and much heavier. Barbola mirrors were hugely popular in England at the turn of the last century (see advert) and home kits were generally sold to affluent young ladies to make hand crafted gifts for their own boudoirs or friends and family
The fashion at the time was for strong, rich shades of blues, greens, umbers and reds, as per our mirror. If the flowers on a Barbola are pastel shades then you can assume the flowers are re-painted, replaced or that the whole piece was made at a later date
England, early 20th Century