Antique Oak Art Deco Cheval Floor Dressing Tall Mirror, c.1930

Antique Oak Art Deco Cheval Floor Dressing Tall Mirror, c.1930

2254

Date: Circa 1930
Period: Art Deco / Interwar
Material: Oak
Origin: England
Type: Cheval Mirror / Dressing Mirror / Full-Length Floor Mirror

Dimensions

• Height: 1669 mm / 166.9 cm / 65.7 inches
• Width: 580 mm / 58 cm / 22.8 inches
• Depth: 430 mm / 43 cm / 16.9 inches

Description

A wonderfully understated English oak Art Deco cheval dressing mirror dating to circa 1930, combining the practical proportions of the traditional cheval mirror with the cleaner, architectural lines that characterised British furniture design during the interwar period.

Standing an impressive 166.9 cm tall, the mirror has a particularly elegant, narrow silhouette. The large rectangular full-length mirror plate is enclosed within a substantial oak frame, the timber displaying an attractive deep brown colour, visible grain and the mellow surface character acquired through almost a century of use.

Rather than the elaborate turned supports and decorative carving associated with Victorian and Edwardian cheval mirrors, this example demonstrates the increasing preference during the 1920s and 1930s for simplified geometric forms. Broad rectangular framing, restrained mouldings and the strong horizontal line of the base give the piece an architectural quality closely associated with the transition into British Art Deco and modernist furniture design.

The mirror is supported between two tall upright standards and stands upon a broad oak base with substantial projecting feet. The gently rounded ends of the feet soften an otherwise strongly rectilinear design, while providing stability without making the mirror excessively deep.

Of particular appeal is the bevelled mirror plate, which gives a subtle decorative edge without detracting from the simplicity of the overall design. The photographs show some expected age-related marks, rubbing and wear to the oak, together with character to the mirror plate, all entirely appropriate for a functional dressing mirror approaching a century old.

At 58 cm wide and only 43 cm deep, it is unusually easy to accommodate for a full-length antique cheval mirror. It would work particularly well in a bedroom, dressing room, hallway, boutique, country house interior or period apartment, where its warm oak construction can sit equally comfortably alongside antique furniture or a more contemporary interior.

A handsome and highly usable piece of 1930s English bedroom furniture, retaining the solidity and craftsmanship of traditional oak furniture while displaying the cleaner proportions of the Art Deco period.

Art Deco & Design Context

The cheval mirror originated considerably earlier than this example, becoming particularly fashionable as a free-standing dressing mirror during the Georgian and Victorian periods. By the early twentieth century, however, designers increasingly stripped away the turned columns, carved ornament and decorative flourishes associated with nineteenth-century examples.

By the 1930s, British bedroom furniture frequently incorporated the principles of Art Deco in a comparatively restrained manner. While Continental and metropolitan Art Deco could feature exotic timbers, chrome, glass and highly decorative geometric veneers, British manufacturers also produced furniture in familiar native and traditional materials such as oak.

This mirror sits particularly well within that tradition. Its tall rectangular geometry, broad flat oak members, minimal ornamentation and substantial stepped-looking base give it a distinctly interwar appearance without becoming overly stylised. Comparable 1930s oak cheval mirrors survive with similarly tall proportions and geometric bases, confirming that the form was well established within Art Deco-era bedroom furniture.

The result is a particularly versatile antique: recognisably period, but sufficiently restrained to complement both traditional and modern interiors.

Condition

Good antique condition with wear, knocks, scratches, rubbing and variations to the finish commensurate with age and use. The oak has developed an attractive mature colour and surface character.

The mirror plate appears to retain good reflective quality with the expected minor marks and ageing associated with an older mirror. Please refer closely to the photographs, which form an important part of the condition description.

Key Features

• English, circa 1930
• Art Deco / interwar period
• Oak construction
• Tall full-length cheval design
• Large rectangular mirror plate
• Bevelled glass edge
• Deep warm oak colour
• Strong geometric proportions
• Substantial upright supports
• Broad stabilising base
• Rounded projecting feet
• Narrow footprint for a full-length mirror
• Attractive original age-related character
• Functional as both dressing and decorative mirror
• Excellent bedroom, dressing room or hallway piece