The Mirror of Erised:
Image Credit The Mirror of Erised, WB
The Mirror of Erised is a beautiful ornate mirror featured in the book/movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is a beautifully decorated antique golden mirror with a pointed frame and beautiful arched window style mirrors above the main mirror and would not look out of place in a church (or a castle, of course) We can take so much inspiration from this mirror as there are so many features to it. One that stand out for us is the window panels of the mirror. Phillip Orr, our in-house glass and mirror artist has developed 2 beautiful mirrors that show off a similar concept.
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The mirror as described in the book stands on clawed feet which remind us of our own Runham and Dereham mirrors that both feature beautifully ornate frames.
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The mirror is etched with the phrase “Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi” which according to JK Rowling means "I show not your face but your heart's desire" (“Erised” backwards is “desire” so let’s use the ornate details of this mirror and this word to inspire your own home and fill it with some magic.
Gabriella Heart Shaped Wall Mirror in Ivory, Gold, and Silver
‘The Arnolfini Portrait’ by Jan Van Eyck:
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Image Credit: Nation Gallery, London
Jan Van Eyck’s 1434 portrait that now hangs in the National Gallery, London is famously known because it depicts the most complex iconography in Western art. The painting features an unusual mirror on the wall behind the couple pictured and cleverly reflects the room back to the viewer.
The round ornate frame of this mirror is encrusted with medallions that depict tiny scenes from the Passion of Christ. The mirror is not overly large but it quite a striking focal point in the room even though there is quite a lot of information held in the image. Hanging a large circular mirror in your living room or bedroom makes for an interesting focus point and creates a sense of space.
The in the painting grabs the attention of the viewer and draws their eyes upwards to the elegant chandelier hanging above. Why not team up your mirror with one of our gorgeous chandeliers to give you room a real air of luxury. See the chandelier collection right here.
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Alice’s Looking Glass:
Image Credit: Sir John Tennial
Of course, the mirror from C.S Lewis’ famous book ‘Alice in Wonderland through the Looking Glass’ has to be added to this list. The mirror that sits over the mantelpiece becomes magical and allows Alice to step through it and on journey to Wonderland. While the mirrors here at Mirror Mania do not have magical properties they definitely do look magical.
We have a beautiful range of over mantle mirrors including some that would not look displaced in the 2016 Alice through the Looking Glass movie featuring Johnny Depp. The Lucia is such a stunning Rococo mirror that comes in gold and silver and would look beautiful in a hallway or bedroom as well as over the mantle in your living room.
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Magic Mirror by M. C. Escher, 1946:
This famous lithograph print by Maurits Cornelis Escher depicts a frameless mirror standing up on wooden supports. We have a beautiful collection of freestanding mirrors here at Mirror Mania including the two ornate mirrors above. If you like the idea of a frameless mirror, there are also plenty of options from our handmade collection. The Emile Wall Mirror (below left) gives the illusion of the mirror sitting on a stand of 5 mirrored sections of coloured glass that can be finished in a selection of colours. Check out the rest of the frameless collection right here.
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Mirrors and surrealism are often go hand in hand in art so it is not surprising that our in-house artist created this interesting spin on the face of this piece of mirrored art. Let us know if you can see it in the comments!
What do You See? Original Handcrafted Illusion Wall Art
The Mirror on the Wall:
This one is probably one of the most famous (and fairest) mirrors of them all. It is of course the oval mirror owned by the evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Talbot and the Clara Mirror are a perfect match for the mirror in the famous Disney Movie.
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More recently in Snow White and the Huntsman, a notable frameless round mirror makes an appearance. We have a large collection of Frameless mirrors which are suitable for any room in your house. See the collection right here.
An extra bonus of a frameless mirror is that it is super easy to clean! Be sure to check out our DIY Cleaning Tips for keeping your mirrors looking spotless here.
