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	The antique mirror is deffinitely an essentiel item of decoration.&nbsp; It is found in all the styles and periods from the Middle Ages to today.&nbsp; Different methods and materials have been used in mirror-making throughout history.&nbsp; The first mirrors were made from a simple sheet of polished metal.&nbsp; Glass was later used associated with a metal leaf.&nbsp; An amalgame of&nbsp; tin and mercury was then used to make antique mirrors, especially the <a href="http://www.antiques-in-france.com/antiquites/-/-/-/trumeau">trumeaux</a>&nbsp; hung above the fireplace in the 18th C.</p>
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	In the 19th C&nbsp; France invented the silver-back method and <a href="http://www.antiques-in-france.com/antiquites/-/-/-/mercury-mirror">mercury</a>, reputed to be toxic, was abandoned.</p>
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	The 18th or 19th C mirror, whether it be carved or plain, painted or gilded,&nbsp; art nouveau ou baroque,&nbsp; one of our antique dealers is sure to have it.</p>