Art Deco mirror

[mittens]

Hello all,
 
Newbie here. After perusing for a while, I couldn't resist posting.
 
I bought this 1930s French wrought iron Art Deco mirror recently for $700 USD (plus $50 delivery) on eBay.  
 
It measures 16.8 inches (42 cm) in height (without chain) and 35.6 in width (90 cm).
 
I've tried finding similar mirrors on the internet.
 
The asking price on the first mirror is $6,500:
 
http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=310657
 
The next one is $2,475:
 
http://www.highstyledeco.com/itemdetails.php?id=279876
 
My mirror does have minor specs (pictured in photo), reducing the price somewhat. Other than the specs, it is in perfect condition.
 
It's near impossible to put a 'real value' price on antiques, but did I purchase this mirror at a reasonable price? What would forum members price it at? What price (estimate) would the mirror sell for at an auction house?
 
Thanks for any replies in advance!

[regularjoe2]

Welcome to the forum , mittens .

Nice little mirror there .

A couple of bits of missing silvering is not a huge deal .
I'm missing a few bits myself , and I still do O.K.

Thanks for all the images you posted , & the refs too .

[mittens]

Thanks for the welcome Joe!
 
I was also wondering what causes the 'spec' effect on mirrors. The eBay description put it down to 'age'. I was thinking maybe it's something to do with moisture getting under or seeping through the mirror? Does anyone know? And it is there a way of preventing future 'specs'?

[talesofthesevenseas]

The "silver" on old mirrors is made of mercury coated tin foil. My understanding is that the specs, spots and flaking are more or less, a natural part of what happens to even the best mirrors. Mirrors can be resilvered, but I am not sure how that affects their value.

[regularjoe2]

Lots of things can damage the silvering on old (& new) mirrors .
The old 'silvering' was made from mercury , and then over-coated with sealants .
Temp , humidity , imperfections in the protective coating , mechanical damage & so forth are often culprits .
Sometimes glass shops will 'job-out' ('outsource') resealing/recoating mirror backs , but usually they're hesitant to do so , unless you're an insider & understand the risks .
Resilvering is pretty expensive .

It's been my experience that once it begins , it tends to progress .
A very dirty & cheap way to arrest minor progression is to buy (or beg) a tiny bit of mirror mastic from a glass shop & apply a tiny bit of it to the 'infected' area (first lightly clean with 90%-91% Isopropyl alcohol) .

[mittens]

Thanks for the info, taleofthesevenseas.
 
I read about re-silvering and it seems that it usually doesn't decrease the value of antiques. However, it is quite expensive and can also be risky (mirrors will occasionally break or chip). Re-silvering only seems worth it if the mirror is severely 'spotted'.
 
I'm not too worried about a few teeny specs, I was just curious of the cause. I know that cleaning products can sometimes cause spotting.

[mittens]

Sorry, I didn't see your reply until I posted Joe.
 
Does mirror mastic leave any visible traces? Can it cause any surface damage?

[cogar]

Hello all,
 
I bought this 1930s French wrought iron Art Deco mirror recently .......

Now folks, I don't think Mittens' mirror has a mercury based coating, because ....

The invention of the silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. His process involved the deposition of a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate. This silvering process was adapted for mass manufacturing and led to the greater availability of affordable mirrors.  http://wikirank.com/en/Mirror

A silvered-glass mirror is made by depositing a layer of pure silver on the glass and then "painting" it over with a protective coating to protect it from the Oxygen in the air. If not, the silver will "oxidize" just like your tea pot, etc. The protective coating is most always "black" in color thus preventing any light from entering through the backside, except in cases of "two way mirrors" like you see in police movies.

I first learned how to “silver” glass in Chemistry Lab. Wash the glass clean, immerse it in formaldehyde (I think it was) and then pour in some silver nitrate. The two will react and the pure silver will be deposited in a very thin layer on top of the glass. If one uses copper nitrate they get a copper mirror.

Anyway, the chipping and flaking can be caused by two things. 1. The silver didn’t adhere to the glass that good (for whatever reason) and age has caused it to flake off. 2. A tiny nick or scratch of the “protective coating” will permit the oxygen in the air to start a “cancerous” oxidation of the silver. The more it oxidizes and flakes off, the more of it will be exposed to the oxygen.

A “cheapy” fix for an old mirror, …. remove it from its frame, clean all the old “silvering” off, wash it impeccibly clean, buy a real thin “cheapy” mirror, cut it to fit the frame, wash it impeccibly clean, replace the old glass in the frame, place the “cheapy” mirror behind it, and seal it all up. No one will ever know unless they take it back apart.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Interesting info!!! Thanks for that!!

[regularjoe2]

What was I thinkin' ? ... this is a 1930's mirror !!

It's true that most world govenments outlawed the use of mercury in mirror manufacture by the 1920's .

After then , silver & aluminum began to be widely used , and still are today .

The silver nitrate mirrors have a layer of silver , then a layer of copper sulphate , then usually 2 layers of sealant paint .
The 'real' silver mirrors I've seen tend to show darker (oxidized) 'spots' than the aluminum ones , as cogar mentioned .

The mastic I mentioned in my previous post is non-reactive with backing coatings on post-1920's mirrors , and is very viscous ..black-colored & known in the glass trade as "Bear S**t" .

Impurities in glass can also cause imperfections to appear , over time , due to the fact that glass is actually a liquid and literally flows like water (very slowly) .

One sad fact that I've witnessed is that 'cottage industries' exist where people still make mirrors using mercury ( I've seen it being done in S.America and in Asia ) , usually near gold production/mining sites .
Folks swipe/obtain mercury from these sites to manufacture these mirrors , sometimes using children to do the work .

[mittens]

Wow, thanks for all the information! 
 
I feel like I've just taken 'Mirrors 101'!

[KC]

Hi mittens,
If you are wanting to keep this mirror and keep it original....should not remove the backing and use the mastic process.

If wanting to keep and use it because those specks are driving you nuts....have the mirror fixed (just get it done)!

All I know is that this is one of those mirrors that just "grabbed/demanded" my attention when I saw it.  LOVE the looks of it.  Looks like some made in the late 1800s and early 1900's.  Great style to it!  A definite keeper....

Even if this was a new mirror, this would sell great due to the "look" that can traverse time and blend well with all styles of decor.  I know quite a few decorators and friends that would love to pry that from your hands!

[mittens]

Hi KC,
 
Thanks for you reply.
 
I think I can learn to live with some minor missing silvering (although if my neurosis gets the better of me, I may consider re-silvering).
 
The mirror was one of those 'I must have it' purchases and I really wasn't considering price when I bought it. I have no intention of selling, but I was curious if I did pay a reasonable price. You've kind of reassured me that it wasn't an entirely silly purchase. Thank you!
 
PS. Sorry it took me days to reply (I've had the flu!) 

[AnneWindsor]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this helps but there is some information on Art Deco Mirrors that might help on this site:

http://www.artdecoantiques.org/

Thanks, Anne.