Tiny Ornate Mirror

Tiny Ornate Mirror

Exceptional, tiny, hand-carved mirror.  New England.  Painted pine.  

One can discern that it is hand carved in a couple of ways:

• the entire case is slightly concave, 
• the bottom ornament is not centered,
• the top is actually not centered.  

There are two paint surfaces:  an initial brown (including some traces still on the back) and then a green over that.  We surmise the green was painted over it after the mirror plate needed replacement.  The way the replacement would have been done is this:  

• there are three square-head nails on each side and two at the top and bottom, and
• on the bottom corners one can barely see the very slightest, barely discernible hairline opening at each corner suggesting it had been pried open a bit to insert the new plate.  

Then the green paint was applied almost totally obscuring evidence of the nails. Although we could not get images clear enough to clearly reveal these over-painted square-head nails,  they can be seen in bright light. Note also square nails securing back.

The size is as follows: