Antiques Hunter

Oak Rectangular Arts & Crafts Movement Era Mirror

The arts and Crafts Design Movement was in the 19^th century during the industrial revolution in Britain and started by two men, John Ruskin and William Morris. They took it upon themselves to “promote a return to hand-craftsmanship and to assert the creative independence of individual craftspeople” (Design Museum. (Unknown)) to juxtapose against the industrial society that had taken Britain by storm.

This mirror or really only the frame itself, as the mirror had been replaced many years ago, is a good example of this hand-craftsmanship from the 19^th century. In the image you can see the delicacy in the framework portraying the precept of ‘Joy in Labour’. The frame also shows the precept of ‘Fidelity to place’ with the use of local materials, ie; oak. The idea of making a functional item/object turn into something aesthetically pleasing, yet still keeping its natural/cultural origins (eg: the intricate working of the oak frame) was something that Ruskin and Morris strived with in their work. This is justified with “…the Arts and Crafts movement dedicated themselves to producing functional objects with high aesthetic value for a wide public. The style the advocated was based on natural, rather than artificial…” (Kleiner, F. S. (2009)). The oak frame stands true to the precept of ‘Truth to Material’, as it is shown that the mirrors’ creator understood their material and had incorporated that understanding into their piece.

The research I have done into the Arts and Crafts movement and its historic structure, style and cultural context relates back to my chosen item, as it includes most of the precepts of the Arts and Crafts movement during the industrial revolution in the 19^th century.

Whole Mirror

Side Detail

Corner Detail

References:

Design Museum. (Unknown). Art and Craft Movement. Retrieved from http://designmuseum.org/design/art-and-craft-movement

Kleiner, F. S. (2009). Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume 2 (13^th ed.). Boston, USA: Wadsworth