Quartermaine Hall

Artisan: Alison Davies, painted by Karen Bell
Date: 2022
Intended Room: Music Room
Dimensions: 149 x 85 x 5 mm; 6 x 3 ½ x ¹/₁₆ in (height x width x depth)
Inventory number: 2022.206

Provenance: Purchased from Alison Davies’s website in June 2022.

I’ve pored over Alison Davies’s website many times, but I’m rather intimidated by her beautiful kits. I have no illusions about my dexterity or artistic capabilities. However, when she offered a number of items which came ready-built, and painted in a beautiful antiqued finish by fellow artisan Karen Bell, I couldn’t resist. This imposing mirror is far more elaborate than anything I imagined having at Quartermaine Hall, but we might just get away with it in the Music Room, with its sumptuous furniture. It would certainly fit the theme.

A lute and trumpets cross at the top of the central oval mirror, and the rest of the frame is a joyous riot of detail, from the allegorical figure at the very pinnacle, clasping a lute, to the owl at upper left, and the dog, cat and rabbit perched along the ‘predella’ section of the mirror. Glorious stuff. Absurdly French, but it will look incredible when on the wall, and I also bought (non-electrical) wall sconces from Alison to complement it.