An Italian Renaissance painted and parcel-gilded mirror, Florentine part second quarter 16th century

with a rectangular plate within a gadrooned border surmounted by a shaped cresting with a seraphim above a faceted plinth flanked by addorsed winged grotesque beasts, the frieze with various ordersr such as egg and dart and dentil moulding above a band of squares with cross-hatching and fluted turned columns on plinths, the apron centred by a shield and flanked by addorsed winged beasts; cresting and apron later 

On the cresting the beast on the right has a broken neck which has been repaired in the past and the tip of one of its wings is missing. There are construction cracks at the joints of the mirror frame, which can easily be filled or left. The side frieze with the cross-hatching is a little loose but can easily be re-glued. Attractive detail to carving. In overall good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Timothy Newbury, The Robert Lehman Collection, XIII Frames, The Metropolitan Museum of New York, 2007, p. 49, no. 28, for a related frame, with a Peruzzi Medici Provenance.
A. Pedrini, Italian Furniture, interiors and decorations of the XV-XVI centuries, London, 1949, p. 159, figs. 403 and 404, for other related examples of these Florentine frames, one of which is reproduced here (fig. 403) in fig. 1. This type of frame would have probably originally contained a religious panel and later fitted for use as a mirror.