Raised-Work Mirror

Description / Expertise

The arched centre panel depicts the Judgement of Solomon, while in the side panels are shown Charles II and his wife, Catherine of Braganza, above royal beasts, the lion and the leopard. The parrot and kingfisher in the lower panel symbolise masculine and feminine ideals.
The fashion for embroidering mirror frames developed to enhance the appearance of a small piece of mirror glass, an expensive luxury. Raised work was popular for a relatively short time and good examples of mirrors in their original frames are rare. They not only exemplify a family’s wealth,
but also demonstrate the considerable accomplishment of the embroideress.