French Rattan Wall Mirror with Radiating Cylindrical Spoke Frame

This rattan wall mirror belongs to a distinct branch of the French cane-work tradition: rather than the slender, wire-fine spokes of the classic sunburst form, its frame is composed of thick, cylindrical rattan rods — each one several millimetres in diameter — that radiate outward from a tightly braided inner ring. The effect is emphatically three-dimensional; at 4.5 cm deep, the spokes project noticeably from the wall plane, casting strong shadows and giving the piece a sculptural presence closer to a relief or an object of nature than to a conventional frame. The warm amber of the rattan, deepened slightly with age, reinforces the organic, almost geological character of the design.

Where the finer rattan sunburst mirrors of the 1950s and ’60s drew their appeal from lightness and line, this 1970 example asserts itself through mass and texture. The spokes, tightly grouped and uniformly cut to the same length, create a continuous bristling ring around the central mirror plate — a form that has been compared to the sea urchin, the hedgehog, or the artichoke, each an appropriate analogy for this particular variety of radial geometry. The braided inner ring that anchors the spokes is itself a careful piece of craftwork, wound and bound to support the outward pressure of the radiating elements.

At 45 cm in diameter, the mirror is well-sized for a bathroom, a bedroom, or any domestic space where a small but arresting decorative accent is desired. Its circular format and natural material make it compatible with a wide range of interior styles — from boho and coastal to mid-century and contemporary — and its greater depth and weight distinguish it visually from more delicate rattan mirrors, making it the more assertive choice for a prominent wall position.

An honest and characterful piece of French artisanal work from the 1970s, this mirror has the directness of an object made without pretension: the rattan is the rattan, the form follows the material, and the result is a piece of quiet authority that improves with familiarity.