Q: I am hoping you might know the value of this copper mirror. I wouldn’t venture a guess about its age, but my mother had the mirror replaced in the 1970s. It has a wooden back and very faint markings “CO/TA/GA — SAL.” The inscription under the mirror reads, “Mine Eyes Hath Played The Painter And Stilled Thy Beauty’s Form ...”
A: The quote is from William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 24, which is often referred to by the first line — “My eyes hath played the painter.” To paraphrase a bit of this poem it might read in modern English, “Like a painter, my eye has drawn your image on my heart with my body as the frame.”
Many English literature critics are not impressed by this poem and call it “derivative,” “imitative” and “conventional.” In fact, some authorities on the subject suggest that this piece might be a Shakespearian half serious spoof.
Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616, but this mirror was made 300 plus years after the “Bard of Avon’s” birth. It is in a style called “Arts and Crafts,” which in the United States is called “Mission” and “Craftsman” on occasion.
In Britain the main proponent of this style is said to be William Morris (1834-1896), who in 1861 was instrumental in founding Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company. This firm designed and made decorative objects for the home, items such as wallpaper, furniture, textiles and even stained glass.
The British Arts and Crafts Movement was a reaction against the Victorian style, and stressed simplicity, and the inherent qualities of the materials they worked with (oak, copper, so forth).
The patterns were often inspired by British flora and fauna, and in the mirror in today’s question, the hand-hammered copper, the very British homily, and the repousse or raised leaves are all true to these ideals.
Unfortunately, I do not recognize the markings on this piece and would have to see them in person to have a better idea what they may represent. This could be very important to the value if they turn out to be from Liberty and Company (a London-based retailer and manufacturer of such things as furniture, metalware, etc.) or one of the other famous British Arts and Crafts makers of the late 19th and early 20th century.
I was sorry to read in your letter that your mother replaced the mirror sometime in the 1970s. This is a huge no-no — replacing a mirror’s glass is to rip out its very heart and soul.
Collectors of old mirrors like to see the old glass even if it is cloudy and missing spots of its silvered backing, leaving splotches and blotches. Yes, to many people this glass is ugly and offensive, but to those who are seriously interested in old mirrors, degraded glass speaks of the piece’s history and is a beautiful thing to behold.
Replacing the glass in a really old mirror is like taking a period Windsor chair and replacing all the legs and spindles and then saying that the piece is “old” and “authentic.”
It isn’t, and the value is only about 10 percent (or less) of what the piece with its original parts might have been.
Replacing the glass of this circa 1900 mirror is not as bad as replacing the glass in a 17th or 18th century example, but the value is diminished. If this piece had its original mirror, it might have had an insurance replacement value of $600 to $700. But without the original glass, the value drops by at least 25 percent and maybe more.
Submit questions to Joe Rosson, c/o News Sentinel, 2332 News Sentinel Dr., Knoxville, TN 37921, or to rossoncrane@yahoo.com. Questions will only be answered in this weekly column
