A CHARLES II NEEDLEWORK LOOKING GLASS, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY |

worked in satin, couching and other stitches; with allegorical figures of the Four Seasons, two castles, flora, fauna and fantastical beasts within silver thread borders; the back lined with old red velvet; appears to retain the original plate

Katherine Christophers, King's Mill, Painswick, Gloucestershire;
Mayorcas Ltd., London, August 1977;
Vogel Collection no. 276.

Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, London, 1977

Katherine Christophers, Fine Arts And Antiques Festival, Printed by Southern Press, 1974.

In good conserved condition with minor splits to threads and some restoration to faces; some fading but colours still fresh. Metallic-thread ribbon borders with oxidation and velvet lining with scattered stains, fading and wear commensurate with age and use. Plate appears to be original with foxing and losses to silvering. Rare and extremely attractive subject and decorative motifs. With a protective Perspex case.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Like mirrors forming part of silver or silver-gilt toilet services, looking glasses with embroidered borders were intended to stand freely on a dressing table rather than hang on the wall. A needlework mirror with similar allegorical figures of the seasons, including that of Winter as an elderly man by the fire with a cat, is in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, illustrated in Xanthe Brooke, Catalogue of Embroideries (Bath 1992), LL5222 p.197.  Comparable figures appear on a raised work picture also in the Lady Lever Gallery (LL5259), and probably derive from block-printed wallpaper possibly sold by Peter Stent in London in the late 17th century (Victoria & Albert Museum, London).  The distinctive presence of the gryphon and cockatrice in the lower corners may be intended to represent the continents of Africa and America, respectively.