A cheval mirror is a tall, free-standing mirror mounted in a frame that pivots between two upright supports, allowing the glass to be tilted to show a full-length reflection. The supports stand on splayed legs or a trestle base, and the name is generally thought to derive from the French word for horse, referring to the four-legged stand.
The form developed in the late eighteenth century, when improvements in glassmaking made larger mirror plates more affordable, and it became especially fashionable in the Regency period, when it was also known as a horse dressing glass. Fine examples were made in mahogany, satinwood and rosewood, with turned or reeded uprights, brass finials and sometimes candle arms. Some had mechanisms with counterweights or ratchets to hold the glass at the desired angle. Victorian and Edwardian cheval mirrors are more common, frequently in mahogany or walnut with carved crestings and inlay. Buyers should check that the plate is original or at least old, that the pivots and tightening screws work, and that the uprights have not been replaced. Original mercury or early silvered plates with gentle foxing add character. Cheval mirrors are ideal for dressing rooms and bedrooms.
