A DECORATIVE IMITATION OF THE SUN,
THE SUNBURST MIRROR BOASTS A
BRILLIANT HISTORY. TEXTJENNIFERBOLES
Radiant
Refl ections
PRESENTEDBYT
o truly appreciate sunburst mirrors, one must first
understand their evolution from solar symbol to wall
ornament. Defined as rays emanating from a central point,
the sunburst had an ecclesiastical association for centuries,
sometimes appearing as saintly halos in medieval religious paintings
or translated into gilded, carved wooden accents on the altars of
Christian churches. Louis XIV of France popularized the sunburst as
a decoration for the secular realm in the seventeenth and early
eighteenth centuries. Self-anointed as the “Sun King,” Louis even
adopted a gilded sunburst bearing the face of Apollo, the Greek sun
god, as his personal emblem. Intended to convey Louis’ absolute
power, the symbol was incorporated into the architecture and interiors
of the king’s grand palace, Versailles, where its presence burnished
the motif’s reputation. Louis’ reign also bore fruit in the form of
exquisitely crafted furniture, made possible by the royal patronage
of master ébénistes, or cabinetmakers. As a result, leading French
furniture makers of the day sometimes integrated the sun king’s
symbol into their designs, further establishing the sunburst as a
central motif in Western decorative arts.
Perhaps it was just a matter of time before sunbursts adopted