Attributed to MAISON FRANCK, Antwerp, ca. 1930.

Attributed to MAISON FRANCK, Antwerp, ca. 1930.
Wall mirror, ca. 1930.
Ebonized wood, tortoiseshell veneer, and gilding.
Measurements: 85 x 65 cm (mirror surface); 101 x 81.5 cm (frame).

Octagonal wall mirror, framed by a wide structure composed of stepped moldings. The tortoiseshell veneer, with its intense reddish hue and pronounced dark spots, is combined with ebonized wood profiles and a gilded interior molding. The hallmarks of the rich colors of the tortoiseshell, the black of the wood, and the reflections of the gold give the piece a striking decorative presence.

The piece revives the tradition of 17th- and 18th-century Flemish mirrors, particularly prized for their use of precious materials and their hallmarks of contrast. However, the simplification of the moldings and the bold geometric lines place its creation in the interwar period, when decorative workshops combined historical references with a more refined sensibility closer to the Art Deco style.

The attribution to Maison Franck is consistent with the output of this Antwerp-based firm, which specialized in luxury furniture and interior design. Under the direction of Frans Franck and, later, Francis Franck, the workshop reinterpreted various historical styles and used tortoiseshell as one of its signature materials.