An elegant French Empire style hand mirror in cast brass, featuring an oval porcelain plaque on the reverse depicting Emperor Napoleon I. The portrait, rendered in transfer-print with hand-painted details, shows Napoleon in his iconic green colonel's uniform of the Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde, with his hand tucked into his waistcoat. The plaque is set within a delicate scalloped brass wire bezel, supported by a highly ornate handle decorated with classical scrollwork, acanthus leaves, a central shell motif, and a ball finial.

Condition Report & Provenance

• Subject / Sitter / Source: Emperor Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte)
• Period: Late 19th century (circa 1890)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Cast brass, transfer-printed and hand-painted porcelain plaque, beveled glass mirror
• Materials: Brass, porcelain, glass
• Decorative Details: Scalloped wire filigree bezel, classical scrollwork, acanthus leaves, shell motif, and ball finial on the handle
• Colour & Surface: Aged brass patina with minor tarnish; polychrome portrait on a white porcelain ground
• Condition: A prominent chip and silvering loss to the upper right edge of the mirror glass (as viewed from the front); the brass frame and porcelain plaque remain in good antique condition with light surface wear and minor tarnish consistent with age.

History

During the late 19th century, particularly during the French Third Republic, there was a significant revival of interest in the Napoleonic era, leading to a high demand for decorative objects, vanity items, and memorabilia featuring the Emperor's likeness. This hand mirror, likely produced in France around the 1890s, exemplifies this historicist trend, combining classical Empire-style metalwork with a finely detailed porcelain portrait intended for the luxury vanity market.