Hand-Carved Teak Wood Louis XVI Mirror | Gold Urn Crest with Marginal Panels

The Story Behind This Mirror

Neoclassical work is judged on discipline, not exuberance. Every husk in a swag has to graduate evenly, every bow has to tie the same way on both sides, and the urn has to sit dead on the centre line - because the whole design is symmetrical, any error is doubled by its own reflection across the axis. So this frame is set out geometrically before carving and checked constantly against the centre.

The urn is turned first and then carved, its body fluted and its lip gadrooned, with the flower spray above shaped bloom by bloom. The swags are cut as continuous runs with each husk slightly smaller than the last so the drape appears to hang under its own weight rather than being drawn on. The ribbon bows are undercut so light passes through the loops.

The finishing is what gives the piece its age. The pale ground goes on first and is cut back; the gold is then laid lightly over the raised work only, and rubbed back further than we would on a bright piece, so the ground shows through at the wear points. The marginal panels are glazed before the central plate.

Factual specification for this hand-carved teak wood Louis XVI wall mirror:

• Material: Solid teak wood, hand-carved and hand-turned (no veneer, no engineered wood)
• Style: Louis XVI neoclassical, symmetrical, with marginal glass
• Finish: Soft aged gold laid lightly over a pale ground and rubbed back at the wear points; customisable to bright gold, antique gold, silver or dark wood polish
• Frame detail: Fluted and gadrooned urn crest with carved flower spray, graduated husk swags to both shoulders, ribbon bows at the upper corners, husk drops down both stiles, shell motif on the crest rail, foliate cartouche at the base, carved scrolled feet
• Glass: Rectangular central plate with narrow mirrored marginal panels on all four sides
• Orientation: Wall-mounted, portrait as photographed
• Size: Custom sizes made to order - share your wall dimensions and we will quote
• Make: Made to order, handcrafted by master Indian artisans
• Delivery: Pan-India, free shipping

Packaging and Transit Protection

Three things drive the packing: the carved flower spray on the urn, the graduated husk drops, and the four marginal panels which are thinner than the central plate. The urn spray, the bows and every husk drop are wrapped individually in high-density foam and taped clear of the finish so no adhesive touches gold or the pale ground. Each marginal panel is separately covered with a shatter-retention film, rigid-board faced and blocked so it cannot flex in its rebate; the central plate is treated the same way.

The frame is faced with a soft interleaf, sleeved in a continuous foam blanket, corner-guarded at all four corners and set into a fitted wooden crate with foam blocking on every face so it cannot twist - twist is what cracks marginal glass. The crate is marked for orientation and fragility, strapped and sealed, and we photograph the piece wrapped and the crate closed before dispatch. On arrival, open against the packing list and inspect all five panels and the husk drops before signing.

Shipping and Delivery

Every piece is carved and finished after you order. Typical lead time is 4 to 6 weeks from confirmation, with the glazing stage adding time since each marginal panel is cut and fitted individually, and the aged finish requiring an extra step over plain gilding. Enlarging the frame or changing the margin width pushes it to the longer end. The exact timeline is confirmed in writing at order and we share photographs after carving, after finishing and once the panels are glazed.

Delivery is free anywhere in India. We arrange and manage transport and our team coordinates unloading and placement at your address rather than leaving a crate at the gate. Please tell us in advance about stairs, lift dimensions or society service-entry restrictions so the route can be planned. We advise on hanging hardware for your wall type - the marginal panels add glass weight, so the fixing matters more than the frame weight suggests. International orders are quoted case by case.

Craftsmanship Assurance and Care

Our craftsmanship assurance covers the solid teak frame, the carving and the joinery. If a joint opens or a carved element separates because of a fault in the making - rather than through impact, misuse, unsuitable fixing or an attempted self-repair - we repair or replace it. Glass breakage after delivery and water damage sit outside the assurance. Note that the deliberate rubbing-back of the gold to reveal the pale ground is a designed part of the finish, not wear or a defect.

Use a clean dry soft brush on the urn flowers, the husk swags, the bows and the drops - the husks are thin and graduated, and a cloth will catch the smallest of them. A soft dry cloth suits the plain rails and the mouldings. Never use water, chemical polish, alcohol or ammonia-based cleaners on the finish; a lightly gilded pale ground is more easily stripped than a heavy gilt, and it cannot be spot-repaired invisibly. Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth rather than at the plates so nothing runs behind the marginal glass. Keep the mirror out of direct sunlight and away from heat and air-conditioner outflow, and mount on a solid wall with anchors rated above the combined glass weight.