Circular Rattan Sunburst Mirror

A circular rattan sunburst mirror in which multiple canes of natural rattan radiate outward from a small central mirror disc, arranged in dense, slightly layered clusters that give the frame a rich, organic depth quite distinct from the simpler single-spoke sunburst type. The overall effect is that of a full-bodied corona: the warm honey-brown of the natural cane creating a glowing aureole around the reflective centre that is at once decorative and quietly luminous.

The sunburst or “soleil” mirror was one of the defining decorative objects of post-war French interior design. Appearing in rattan, split bamboo, wood and metal across several decades from the 1950s onward, it drew on both the Art Deco sunray motif of the interwar period and the broader mid-century appetite for natural materials and the warm, informal aesthetic they connoted. In rattan, the form found its most overtly organic expression — the hand-worked cane lending each piece a slight variation that distinguishes it from any industrial equivalent.

The frame depth of 3 cm gives the mirror a pleasingly three-dimensional presence when hung, the spokes projecting slightly from the wall and casting fine linear shadows around the perimeter of the piece. The central mirror glass is of relatively modest diameter, with the generous proportions of the rattan frame accounting for most of the total 56 by 57 cm spread of the composition.

In good vintage condition with the natural colour and patina appropriate to the age of the piece. An appealing and characteristic example of the mid-century French decorative interior, suited to a wide range of settings from the bohemian to the elegantly eclectic.