An ornate, circular mirror above a mantel. It is gilded in gold, with the ability to place candles in sconces on both sides.
Christopher and Rebecca Gore lived long before the electric light. They depended on candles and oil lamps to light their home. But candles and oil lamps could only do so much. Hanging a girandole looking glass, which had candles in sconces, was one way to brighten a room. The convex mirror and the gilded frame reflected the candlelight back into the room. The mirror also provided a complete, if distorted, view of the room and the assembled guests.
The word Girandole comes from the old Italian word girandola, which translates as fireworks. In Gore’s day, girandole referred to many types of gilded candelabra and sconces, with or without a mirror. Today it usually refers to a round, convex mirror in a gilded frame with candles in sconces, like the one in the photo.
