Mirrors have been coveted through
the ages as tools of truth and illusion

THE mirror, I would
like to believe, is uni-
versal and has always
existed.

There was no “first mir-
tor,” made or discovered in
China or India. A mirror
existed for the first woman —
the first woman to see her
reflection in a pond or a lake.
She must have stood there
motionless, trying to catch
fish or lost in thought when
her “mirror image” appeared
on the water surface.

If it indeed happened like
this, did the first woman rec-
ognize herself? Or did she
run away in horror and tell
her partner that there were
other beings around who
lived in the depths of the
pond?

This does seem plausible
because old legends talk of
water spirits, mermaids and
other creatures that lived in
the darkness of water.

No one will ever know for
sure the origins of the mirror,
but superstitions about reflec-
tions in the mirror persist
today. In some cultures it’s
customary to cover the mir-
rors in the room of an ailing
patient to prevent his soul
from escaping through the
mirror into the next world. It
was also believed that a per-
son’s spirit could be trapped
in a mirror.

In order to find the peo-
ple who consciously pro-
duced the first mirror, we
must once again look to

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trey. $150)

China. Along with porcelain
and silk, the Chinese gave the
mirror to the world a few
thousand years ago.

Tt was not the mirror we
know today, but rather a
highly polished and perfectly
flat surface of metal: bronze,
silver or gold. It was small
and came with a handle or
loop, to be worn on a belt
around the waist, or to be
held up to the face by a ser-
vant.

Mirrors
have also
been found in
old Chinese
and Egyptian
tombs; the
reflective sur-
faces were
regarded as a
source of
light and a
symbol of the
sun that
would illumi-
nate the dark-
ness of the
tomb.

More than
thar, howev-
er, Mirrors
have been
coveted
through the
ages to allow
the user to
apply beauty
aids or
remove
beards.

Whether

made of

stone, polished metal or sil-
vered glass, mirrors give us a
reflection of ourselves. They
are a tool of truth and of illu-
sion.

As a tool of illusion mir-
rors have served architecture
and design ever since it
became possible to make
them in sufficient size to
cover a wall. The first glass
mirrors were made of tu
shaped glass that was slit

open and flattened while
warm. It was then polished
and backed with mercury and
tin.

This process was improved
when the molten glass was
poured onto a darge metal
table with raised edges, pro-
ducing mirrors the size of
four-by-seven feet. The archi-
tects of King Louis XIV at
the Palace of Versailles were

bly the first to use these

large sheets of mirror to
reflect the whole splendor of
the King’s court.

Cabinet makers also incor-
porated mirror in their
designs. In fact, 18th and
19th Century craftsmen have
left us a whole legacy to
choose from. The frames
were made of intricately
carved wood or plaster, paint-
ed or gilded, and designed to
be used over fireplaces or in

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NEWS phote idike Wakefield

AS a tool of illusion, mirror nas served architecture and design ever since it
became possible to make them su‘ficient size to cover a wall. Frankie
Metcailf’s Sample Sale store in Lower Lonsdale boasts an ample supply of
reflective surfaces. Sample Sale is !ocated at 103 East 2nd, North Vancouver.

wall panels, always conimercial building.
shaped to match the
style of the day.
Along with truth and
illusion, mirror
reflects light. This
characteristic is now being
used in industry, medicine,
space exploration and other
technologies to concentrate
light rays in laser beams
which deliver the light a long
distance from its original
source.

It is hoped that in the
2tst Century we will perfect
this technology to deli
light and especially sunlig!
into every residential and

winter?

Meanwhile let’s look at
more conventional ways to
decorate the home with
frame mirrors.

find them; one that stands
out is Frankie Metcalf"s

103 E. 2nd Street. Along

Indonesian islands (at very
reasonable prices), you will

ren

CLOSET

children’s consignment

Wouldn't that brighten all
the drab and gloomy days of

There are many places to

Sample Sale Factory Outlet at

with exotic imports from the

find a very unique and origi-
na) series of mirrors from Bali.

The mirrors, picture
frames, masks, candle holders
and small items of furniture
in the store are whimsical and
fun, painted and decorated in
wonderful colors. For the lat-
est designs you can visit her
website at heep://www.van-
couver-business.com/pelago-
imports and view the mail
order catalogue.

Edith Saatkamp practises
and teaches interior design on
the North Shore.

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f When it comes to enjoying backyard birds, closer is better.
f Our new mini binoculars are ideal for birdwatchers or
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a STARTS SATURDAY &
JAN. 25/97

. 1844 MARINE DRIVER
WEST VANCOUVER

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MON-SAT 10-5PMi

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_ oo
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988-2121

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