A whole range of looking glasses supplied for the State rooms at Harewood, were dismantled and removed to store in the 1840's during Charles Barry's alterations to the house. They remained in store until the mid-1980's when they were rediscovered and an extensive programme, undertaken by Carvers and Gilders, returned a number of the glasses to their former glory.
This magnificent pair of looking glasses with elaborate scrolling fronds, swags of husks and surmounted by an antique vase, were part of this programme. It is uncertain whether they were definitely made for this room, but there is a description for '2 Exceeding neat & Rich Carved Gerandoles with ornaments and Treble Branches highly finished in burnished Silver', invoiced for the Yellow Damask Sitting Room. Although these two restored pieces do not have three branches for candles, as described in the bill, a small holder at the base indicates that they probably did exist originally.
Pair of Looking Glasses
c.1770
The Earl & Countess of Harewood, & the Trustees of the Harewood House Trust
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