Antique French gilt cushioned mirror with musical instruments

Dark gilt antique French cushioned mirror, circa 1880. The outer frame is decorated with acanthus leaves and the inner frame with a row of beading and the frames are linked at each corner with an elongated arrangement of leaves with central berried stem. A curled acanthus leaf decorates the outside edge of each corner and the mirror is topped with a wide cartouche with sprays or bay or laurel leaves either side of an arrangement of musical instruments. The original gilding has darkened over the years probably because this mirror was hung over a fireplace and, where the gilding has worn, there are hints of terracotta around the frame and even verdegris on the leaves within the cartouche. The original glass is bevelled in every section and is in excellent condition, with just a little age, giving a very good reflection.