A toilet mirror is a small swing mirror designed to stand on a dressing table or chest of drawers, the term deriving from the old sense of toilet as the process of dressing and grooming. The mirror plate is held between two uprights so that it can be tilted, and the stand frequently incorporates one or more small drawers for combs, jewellery and cosmetics.
Toilet mirrors became common in English bedrooms from the early eighteenth century. Queen Anne and early Georgian examples are often veneered in walnut or decorated with japanning and have shaped plates and bureau-style bases with fitted drawers. Later Georgian mirrors in mahogany favour shield, oval or rectangular plates on slender uprights above serpentine or bowfront bases, often with boxwood stringing or crossbanding, while Victorian versions became larger and heavier. Buyers should check whether the plate is original, since old mercury plates show a soft grey tone and are thinner than modern glass, and should examine the turned finials and the fit of the drawers. Missing or replaced finials, warped uprights and later backboards all affect value, but a well-proportioned original example remains a charming and practical piece.
