Cheval Mirror in Teak with an Oval Plate, Gilded Mounts and Candle Arms

Everything about a cheval mirror lives or dies on the pivot, and the pivot is not at the middle of the plate.

An oval frame carries more mass low down than high, so a mirror hung on trunnions at its exact geometric centre will always want to fall forward. Our artisans find the balance point of the finished, glazed frame first - actually balancing it on a bar before the trunnions are bored - and then set the pivots a small distance above that point. The frame is left very slightly bottom-heavy, so it returns gently toward upright rather than tipping away from you if it is nudged.

Friction is the second half of it. Leather washers are fitted at each trunnion and tensioned so the plate moves under the steady pressure of one hand and then stays exactly where it is put. Too loose and it drifts while you are looking at it. Too tight and you need two hands and a firm shoulder.

The result is a mirror you set once and forget about, which is the entire point of the form.

Material: solid teak throughout, hand-carved by master Indian artisans.

Structure: oval frame on trunnion pivots between two fluted columns; columns tenoned into a trestle base with a stretcher; urn finials above; carved crest over the plate.

Fittings: leather friction washers at the pivots; castors at the feet; candle arms at column height, available for candles or wired for electric candle lamps, or omitted.

Finish: teak with gilded mounts as photographed. Fully gilded, silvered, ivory and natural teak also available.

Plate: oval mirror glass, plain or bevelled, set into a rebate from the back.

Sizes: custom sizes made to order - final measurements confirmed in writing before production.

Photography: images here are photographs of the actual product, not renders.

A cheval mirror travels as a piece with a moving part, so it is immobilised before it is wrapped. The plate is packed at its upright position and blocked at both trunnions so it cannot swing in the crate.

The urn finials and the candle arms, which project furthest, are wrapped and capped separately. The gilded frieze on the base and the mouldings along the columns are faced with continuous foam rather than spot padding, so no single point takes pressure.

The oval plate is filmed and backed with a board cut to the ellipse, so the glass carries no load anywhere around its curve. Castors are packed clear of the base to avoid marking.

Everything then goes into laminated foam, bubble wrap and a fitted wooden crate. Multi-layer protective packaging is standard and dent-free arrival is guaranteed.

Delivery anywhere in India is free and included in the price - no separate freight, no distance loading, no small-town surcharge.

Production begins once your height, plate, candle-arm and finish choices are confirmed in writing. We give you a realistic production window then and keep you updated as the piece moves through carving, gilding, glazing and crating.

Shipment is tracked and our team stays reachable throughout. Dent-free arrival is guaranteed and it is our responsibility to honour.

A cheval mirror is tall in its crate. Tell us about your doorway, stair and lift dimensions when you order and we plan the crating and the route accordingly before the piece leaves the workshop.

Brown Rabbit warrants the solid teak frame and joinery for 20 years. On a cheval mirror that covers the oval frame, the columns, the tenons into the trestle base, the stretcher and the trunnion housings - every joint that has to stay tight for the mirror to keep standing square and tilting truly.

A lifetime warranty against termite damage runs alongside for as long as you own the piece, backed by the natural termite resistance of the teak itself and set down in writing.

The pivot washers are a wearing part by design and can be re-tensioned or replaced over the years - we will tell you how, or do it for you. The gilded mounts are laid and burnished by hand, so their shine varies slightly along the mouldings.

Written warranty terms come with your order, agreed before production starts.