A Regency giltwood convex girandole mirror circa 1815

The Estate of Quincy Adams Shaw
Thence by descent to the present owner

Overall fair condition; the frame with large losses to composition at molding to left side approximately 4 inches in length and 2 inches in length; overgilded; one glass drip pan with large loss to the middle; some drops lacking; lacking to bobeches; backboard detached but present.
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.

Quincy Adams Shaw was a substantial businessman, having invested in copper mining, and an important figure in Boston society. He was born in in Boston in 1825 and named for his father's friend John Quincy Adams. Educated at Harvard, he lived in Paris in the 1850s, where he became part of the artistic world and began collecting. He bought Old Master paintings and Renaissance sculpture, but concentrated on the then contemporary French school, particularly the works of Jean-François Millet. In the course of his life he acquired 26 paintings, 27 pastels and three etchings by Millet. He later became a major benefactor of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.  In 1894, he gave the MFA, Boston a substantial gift of Old Master drawings.  After his death and that of his wife in 1917, Shaw’s Millet collection also was transferred to the museum. His children continued in his footsteps so that there are now more than 100 items in the Museum of Fine Arts collection with the Quincy Adams Shaw provenance. For a biographical notice see the exhibition catalogue Quincy Adams Shaw Collection. Italian Renaissance Sculpture. Paintings and Pastels by Jean Francois Millet, Boston, 1908, pages 1-4.