A William and Mary cream and polychrome japanned and paperwork mirror circa 1690, the paperwork by Rachael Sambrooke

the rectangular chamfered frame decorated with chinoiserie and scrolled paperwork panels of flowers and buildings, topped by arched pierced cresting with paperwork panel with Sambrooke family coat-of-arms

Rachael Sambrooke, who executed the paperwork decoration, married into the Burne family in 1700.
By descent in the Burne family until sold by Dr. J.C. Burne, Sotheby's London, 20th October 1972, lot 52.
Acquired from Mallett & Son Ltd., 29th March 1973.

Lanto Synge, Mallett's Great English Furniture, London, 1991, p.28.
Lanto Synge, Furniture, London, 1977.
Graham Child, World Mirrors 1650-1900, 1990, p.64.

Overall in good condition, small loses to decoration, small repairs and a small break to cresting, velvet backs of panels possibly a replacement. Rolled paperwork in good condition. The glass plate probably original, but has been re-set and wrongly left in the inverted position. Wear and yellowing of the ground consistent with age and use and visible in the photograph.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present mirror with its ivory japanned decoration and panels of curled paper ornament is an extremely rare example of both techniques.  

The art of japanning in England in imitation of oriental lacquer was encouraged in the late 17^th century by the high cost of original pieces emanating from the East and by the publication by Stalker and Parker, A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing, published in 1688. The art of lacquering was also never mastered in the west due to the complexity of the process and the absence of the principal raw material - the gum of the lac tree (rhus vernicifera). English japanning of the late 17^th century and early 18^th centuries  is normally strongly conceived with raised figures and other decoration in tones of gold leaf with some polychrome on a solid coloured ground, the most common of these being black, red, blue, green and white, the rarest of all. White japanning which is the ground of the present mirror was especially rare because it demanded a great deal of skill on the part of the craftsmen; the zinc oxides where were used to obtain the white effect were much harder to apply than the gesso which was normally used as a base. In addition there was less margin for error when working on such a light background.  

The present mirror with its pagodas, exotic foliage and chinoiserie figures strongly shows the influence of Stalker and Parker, op.cit. as the form of these features as depicted is all typical of the style promoted by this work.

For comparison, other examples of white japanning can be seen in a pair of cabinets at Boughton House, referred to in a 1707 inventory as `two little white Indian cabinets’, and two formerly in the collection of Geoffrey Hart, illustrated in R.W Symonds, Masterpieces of English Furniture and Clocks, 1940, pp.74-79, plates V and VI.

Paper-curl decoration was a technique developed as early as 15th and 16th centuries in England but was only rarely used as in the present context. Early forms were done with precious metals, usually silver and gold but when this became too expensive papyrus and tree bark were used and later, parchment and paper coloured with gilt edges and decorated with coloured metal threads and beads. The technique was used in 15th and 16th centuries for decorating the figures of saints and relics but its use diminished after the Reformation. During the second half of the 17th century it was revived as a recreation for ladies to embellish mirror-frames, as in the present example, or travelling boxes and in the late 18th century, more extensively tea caddies. Other examples of the technique used to decorate the frames of wall mirrors are recorded in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, illustrated in Percy Macquoid, A History of English Furniture: The Age of Walnut, 1919, p.94, fig.88; the Shelburne Museum Vermont ( cat. no. 8.3-21) and an example sold Sotheby`s London, Important English Furniture 10th July 1995, lot 7. A further example is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Geoffrey Wills, English Looking Glasses, A study of the glass, frames and makers, (1670-1820) 1965, p. 65.