Pier glass

A pier glass or trumeau mirror is a mirror which is placed on a pier, i.e. a wall between two windows supporting an upper structure.[1]

Late-19th century giltwood pier glass, with classical urn foliage and wheat ear cresting. This is the classic form of the pier glass. Christie's South Kensington, 14 March 2008

It is therefore generally of a long and tall shape to fit the space. It may be as a hanging mirror or as mirrored glass affixed flush to the pier, in which case it is sometimes of the same shape and design as the windows themselves. This was a common decorating feature in the reception rooms of classical 18th-century houses.

A console table typically stood below the pier glass.[2]

Trumeau mirrors
Large 18th-century Rococo pier glass in the Amalienburg Pavilion, Schloss Nymphenburg.

A trumeau mirror is a type of wall mirror originally manufactured in France in the later 18th century. It takes its name from the French word trumeau, which designates the space between windows. Such a mirror, usually rectangular, could also hang above an overmantel. A decorative carved or painted scene was the prominent characteristic, and could dominate the actual mirror.[3]

Notes
  1. "Definition of Pier Glass by Merriam-Webster". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  2. Ralph Edwards (1974). The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture: From the Middle Ages to the Late Georgian Period. Country Life Books. p. 364. ISBN 0600430820.
  3. Mark Hinchman (2 January 2014). The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Interior Design. A&C Black. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-60901-534-3.


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