art noveau

I recall the first antique hand mirror I ever bought. It was on vacation in Maine, on a shelf at a ‘thrift store. This lovely mirror just spoke to me – I was enthralled. Those wonderful roses, art nouveau detailing, the graceful handle. And it was marked “Empire Art Silver.”

The lady came over and said, “what a shame, the mirror is really awful!” I turned it over, and for the first time noticed that it did have shadowing and a lot of wear. But did I care? Absolutely not – The frame was the thrill!

Since that time, about 8 years ago, I have added numerous hand mirrors to my collection. Some are dated – 1904, 1909, etc. One of my favorites is round with a lot of detailing, scrolls, flowers and an open handle.

This one is Sterling Silver. It also has a rather poor mirror, a little dent here and there. Another favorite is square and very, very ornate. I continued the search, but many I desired were out of my price-range. Found a few at auctions, others at yard sales or estate sales.

I especially like to find them with a monogram. I know, I know, that tends to decrease the value of silver items such as tableware. But I don’t mind! I know that there was once a little girl, teenager or matronly lady staring into their mirror. Perhaps putting makeup on or just checking their hair before the special occasion; a wedding, big dance or anniversary party. That just makes the mirrors feel special to me. And if it has an initial of a loved one, that makes it even better. My mom’s name was Ruth and the ones with “R’s” remind me of her.

I had a very delightful thing happen a while back. I was at a garage sale and saw a silver mirror with a voluptuous lady with long flowing hair. Lots of roses, lovely repousse. I asked the gent “how much for this?” His response was “no charge, just take it, it has no mirror.” I gladly scooped it up and with my purchases, skipped to the car. (As my kids will tell you, I am not an expert skipper, and people were actually gawking.)

You see, it did not bother me one iota that this had no mirror. I hang them on the wall in my bedroom and no one else knows the little ’secret.’

Although my darling husband is very accommodating and has let me have a large wall for this display, we will soon be out of room so I have limited my purchases to only sterling silver ones. One of my top three is an art nouveau mirror with wonderful flowers and another features a 3-dimensional lady with a flower in her hair and a lily!

While I have said I will only collect silver mirrors, I did find a ‘must-have’ one that is more brass than not. But I could not pass on it! This one is unusual since it has a peacock at the top, a lady with a fan, a snake and several dragons. Now who could resist? Not me!

I know I am hooked – but I just don’t ‘reflect’ on my addiction too long. I enjoy them, as do all who view them!

Val uble

Read the rest of this entry »

The Art Nouveau decorative style was popular from around 1880 to 1910 and reached its peak around the year 1900. Its name came from a Parisian gallery called “Maison de L’Art Nouveau” which opened its doors in 1895 and showcased the work of leading designers of the era, including American designer Louis Comfort Tiffany. The style took off throughout Europe and the United States, where it was sometimes referred to as Tiffany Style, and was used in the design of art, architecture, jewelry and home furnishings and accessories.

Pieces created in the Art Nouveau style were inspired by the curves and fluid forms found in nature and shapes tended to mirror the elongated forms of plants. Birds, insects, leaves and flowers were common motifs, as well as images of graceful women with flowing gowns and tresses. While Art Nouveau shared an emphasis on good materials and craftsmanship with the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau designers did not rely solely on hand craftsmanship and frequently used machines to create a finished product.

The names of top Art Nouveau artists continue to be recognized today and their contributions are still in evidence. Reproductions of the work of Czech artist Alfons Mucha show up regularly in poster shops and museum stores, and Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass windows and lamps are displayed in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The elegant Art Nouveau curves still grace structures that have seen a century come and go, like the metro entrances in Paris and the eye catching buildings of architect Antoni Gaudi. Today’s designers are inspired by furniture created by Louis Majorelle and Carlo Bugatti, jewelry by Rene Lalique and vases by Émile Gallé.

See more Art Nouveau images and learn more about Art Nouveau at this great page from the website of the National Gallery of Art: http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_audio.htm#