Mirrors

This import is an ""enlarged edition'' of a 1956 French title, published here now with the original black-and-white photos, most of which are of lackluster quality. The excellent color plates, however, are new and the text has been revised to include the Art Nouveau and Deco periods. In academic prose, the authors explore the history of mirrors, from the bronze hand-mirrors of Egypt to the mirrored halls of Versailles, to the lyrical designs of Art Nouveau mirrored dressing tables. Through the ages, note the authors, mirrors have been used in magic and warfare, as symbols of lust, evil and death, as instruments of vanity. The book is a curiosity, likely to be of interest only to mirror collectors or students of design. December