Rare Franco–Maghrebi Mirror with Polychrome Glass Inlay, Late 19th Century

A dazzling and unusually intricate example of Franco–Maghrebi craftsmanship, this richly worked mirror combines the refinement of late-19th-century French export pieces with the opulent decorative vocabulary of Morocco’s urban ateliers. The broad frame is meticulously inlaid with hundreds of hand-cut tesserae—polychrome glass in deep emerald, cobalt, and garnet tones—each piece individually set to create a rhythmic, jewel-like mosaic.

The effect is extraordinary: under natural light the surface seems to flicker and glitter, the colours deepening and the nacre catching fire with movement. Surviving examples of this quality are exceedingly rare; the labour involved in cutting and setting such minute pieces limited production even in its own time, and many comparable works were long ago dispersed or damaged.

The present piece retains its original aged plate, whose softly clouded surface adds a poetic counterpoint to the brilliance of the frame—an evocative contrast much sought after by collectors today. Both sculptural and functional, the mirror reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of Tangier in the late 19th century, where French artistic influence met North African tradition to create objects of remarkable beauty and enduring character.