Hand-Carved Teak Wood Overmantel Mirror | Gold Cherub and Cameo Crest

The Story Behind This Mirror

A piece this size is not one carving; it is a dozen carvings that have to agree with each other. The frame is drawn out full-scale first, because the cherubs, the urns, the cameo and the side stiles all have to hold proportion once they are two metres up a wall and seen from below. Only then is the seasoned teak cut and distributed to the bench - the figure work to the carvers who do figures, the mouldings and beading to those who do runs.

The cherubs are the slowest part. Faces, hands and the fall of drapery are shaped from the solid, and there is no correcting a face that has been cut too deep - the block is finished or it is scrapped. The cameo medallion is carved as a relief portrait and set into its oval, the laurel garlands are cut as continuous runs so the leaves overlap the way real foliage does, and each flame urn is turned before it is carved and fluted. When the components come together, the whole frame is hand-sanded through progressive grits, then the gold is built up in coats and rubbed back by hand along the pediment edges, the urn lips, the garlands and the cartouche - the places a hand or a century would have worn it. Only then is the glass fitted: the central plate first, then the two marginal plates. What leaves the workshop after several weeks is a piece intended to be inherited.

Factual specification for this hand-carved teak wood overmantel mirror:

• Material: Solid teak wood, hand-carved (no veneer, no engineered wood)
• Style: European palace overmantel, carved architectural crest
• Finish: Gold, hand-applied and hand-rubbed; customisable to antique gold, distressed gold, silver or dark wood polish
• Crest detail: Broken pediment with two carved cherubs, oval cameo portrait medallion, ribbon bow and laurel garlands, flame urn finials on plinths at both shoulders
• Frame detail: Carved figures on the inner stiles, beaded and foliate mouldings, shield cartouche with scrolls at the base
• Glass: Shaped central bevelled plate with narrow bevelled marginal plates on both sides
• Orientation: Wall-mounted, portrait as photographed; suited to overmantel and large-wall placement
• Size: Custom sizes made to order - share your wall dimensions and we will quote
• Make: Made to order, handcrafted by master Indian artisans
• Photography: Actual product photos and video shared before dispatch
• Delivery: Pan-India, free shipping

Packaging and Transit Protection

Large overmantel mirrors are packed as components, not as one object, because that is the only way the projecting carving survives a long road journey. The urn finials, the cherub crest and any separable carved elements are wrapped individually in high-density foam, taped clear of the gilded surface, and boxed in their own compartments. The three glass plates - central and both marginal - are each covered with a shatter-retention film and faced with rigid board.

The main frame is sleeved in a continuous foam blanket, corner-guarded at all four corners, and blocked into a purpose-built wooden crate with foam on every face so it cannot shift. Given the size and weight, the crate is built heavier than our standard and skidded for forklift handling, and it is marked for orientation, fragility and lifting points. We photograph every component wrapped and the crate sealed and send those images before dispatch. On arrival, open the crate against the packing list and inspect all components before signing; anything damaged in transit is ours to resolve.

Shipping and Delivery

This is a made-to-order piece and the largest in the mirror range, so plan for the longer end of our window. Typical lead time is 4 to 6 weeks from order confirmation, and can extend if you enlarge the frame, change the cameo subject or the finial style, or specify a custom polish - figure carving is the slowest work in the workshop and cannot be rushed without showing. The exact timeline is confirmed in writing at order, and we share photographs at the carving stage, after assembly and after finishing.

Delivery is free anywhere in India. We arrange transport sized for the crate and our team coordinates unloading and placement at your address. Because of the dimensions, please confirm in advance your doorway and stair widths, lift internal size, and whether a crane or service entry is needed - we will plan the route with you before dispatch. We advise on structural fixing for the wall type and strongly recommend professional installation for a piece of this weight. International orders are quoted case by case on request.

Craftsmanship Assurance and Care

The solid teak frame, the figure carving and the joinery carry our craftsmanship assurance. If a joint opens, a carved element separates or a finial works loose because of how the piece was made - rather than through impact, misuse, unsuitable fixing or an attempted self-repair - we will repair or replace it. Glass breakage after delivery and water damage sit outside the assurance.

Care matters more on a piece of this scale because the surface area is larger and the detail is deeper. Dust the cherubs, cameo, garlands and urns with a clean dry soft brush; use a soft dry cloth only on the flat mouldings. Never use water, chemical polish, alcohol or ammonia cleaners on the gilded surface - gold rubbed back by hand cannot be spot-repaired invisibly once it is stripped. Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, never onto the plates, so nothing runs behind the marginal glass. Keep the piece clear of direct sunlight, heat and air-conditioner outflow. Because of the weight, this mirror must be mounted on a structural wall by a professional using anchors rated well above the piece weight, and the fixings should be checked annually.