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Item Overview & History
Up for sale is a beautiful piece of historic European Grand Tour memorabilia: an authentic antique Italian Sorrento Ware marquetry hand mirror. Crafted in Sorrento, Italy, during the late 19th to early 20th century (Victorian to Edwardian era), this piece showcases the region's famous intarsia wood-layering technique.
The back features a beautifully detailed, hand-inlaid pictorial scene depicting two figures riding a donkey, framed by an intricate, hand-carved olive wood fretwork border. These mirrors were highly prized souvenirs purchased by wealthy travelers completing their cultural tours of Europe.
Condition Report (Sold AS-IS / Repair Project)
Please review the photos carefully, as this item is being sold strictly AS-IS for restoration, parts, or rustic display.
Handle: The handle has a clean, complete structural break at the narrowest part of the neck. It is currently held together temporarily with a piece of twine. It will require professional wood gluing and clamping to be made stable again.
Wood Condition: The olive wood shows a rich, genuine historic patina. There are minor superficial scratches, tiny paint specks, and localized dark staining/grime on the lower handle from decades of handling.
Mirror Glass: The original glass mirror is intact but shows heavy signs of age, including significant "foxing" (oxidation of the silver backing), fine spiderweb fractures in the silvering, cloudiness, and a dark gold tint.
This is a fantastic, rewarding restoration project for an antique collector or woodworker looking to bring a 120+ year-old piece of Italian history back to life.
Please look at all pictures closely, Sold AS IS. Feel free to ask for more pictures before purchasing. Thank you for looking! 😃
