Glass blowing revolutionized the production of mirrors and by the 16th century, it was the Venetians who would turn their attention to mirrors, inventing a method for making a flat glass mirror. Anyone Venetian craftsman who dared breach that secrecy faced imprisonment and even execution.

Small mirrors were used throughout Europe to code and decode messages, a system devised by Leonardo DaVinci who wrote in mirror code. Even the scriptures were coded in mirror reflection. During the 30 years’ war, mirrors were used to create massive reflections that would blind the enemy on the opposing field.

In 1687 three Murano glassmakers were bribed and brought secretly to France where they exposed the Venetian’s mirror making secrets. The French went on to improve upon those techniques and soon invented a new method for casting glass in larger sheets. This new technique, though difficult and dangerous, allowed for much larger sheets of flat glass, and ushered in a new age of decorating with mirrors. Just a few years after this discovery, work began on the famed Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versaille. This magnificent room featured 306 massive mirrors…a feat never seen before in the history of mankind! Because of these mirrors, this room became the most famous interior in the world.

Cabinetmakers such as Thomas Chippendale and John Linnell imported French glass to satisfy the tastes of their wealthy English clientele. To be certain, mirrors continued to be incredibly costly, since their manufacturing proved as dangerous and delicate as ever. Some relief came in 1835 when a German invented a new method of backing sheets of glass with real silver, forever replacing the toxic mercury.

As techniques varied, so did the craft of framing mirrors. Because the mirror was so incredibly expensive, it only made sense to craft frames befitting this precious glass. Even the most magnificent frame would cost only a fraction of the cost of the actual mirror, so patrons commissioned extravagant frames crafted of every material imaginable. The frame makers were typically highly skilled artisans who specialized in crafting frames of incredible complexity and beauty. It is ironic that today, it is the frame where most of the value of a fine mirror lies.

Frames can be found in any number of materials, but the gilded frame was often a favorite choice for many reasons. Like the mirror itself, gold was very costly and precious, and so seemed only fitting to be used as the material to embellish the frame of a very expensive mirror. And, like the mirror, gold was highly reflective, furthering the mirror’s ability to reflect light in an interior.

In our modern age of mass production, it is easy to forget that the things we take for granted, such as the mirror, were once considered extremely precious. It may be true that the value of the actual glass has taken a back seat to the frame of a mirror, but a true collector or connoisseur will certainly appreciate both of their histories.