This scarlet, black and gilt japanned mirror is representative of early eighteenth-century German production and typifies the fascination of local craftsmen with the alluring products of the Orient. It is closely related to the oeuvre of the lacquer specialist Gerhard Dagly (d. 1715), who was active in Berlin in the early 1700s. At that time, Dresden was also a recognized center for the creation of japanned furniture, but the character of the figural compositions of this lot is less rigorously bound to the Chinese prototypes than comparable Dresden examples. The combination of exotic foliage with Chinese figures on this mirror is comparable to Chinoiserie work that was made in Berlin, such as a number of tray top tables and a jardiniére made shortly after 1713, see W. Holzhausen, Lackkunst in Europa, Munich, 1982, pp. 198-199, fig. 146-147. Those japanned objects are attributed to the workshop of Gerhard Dagly, which is believed to have continued after Dagly's departure from Berlin to Paris in 1713.
Dagly became celebrated following his appointment in Berlin in the 1680s as Kammerkustler to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1688). Dagly was afterwards appointed Intendant des Ornements at the court of Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, later Frederick I of Prussia, see H. Huth, 'Lacquer Work by Gerhard Dagly', Connoisseur, vol. 95, 1935, p. 14. Dagly and his brother Jacques provided japanned furnishings of exceptional quality to Frederick I and his court, on one occasion the Kurfustin of Hanover sending an English clock-case to her son-in-law and feeling bound to mention that 'Dagly makes much better ones,' see H. Honour, Chinoiserie: The Vision of Cathay, London, 1961, p. 66).
A pair of related mirrors attributed to Dagly with similar cresting but further enriched with mother-of-pearl was sold Christie’s, London, 28-29 October, 2009, lot 50 (£289,250). Other related mirrors include that formerly with William Redford, sold from the Collection of Lord and Lady White of Hull, 8 April 2004, lot 739 ($220,300) and another with Alexander & Berendt, sold Christie's, London, 10 June 1993, lot 57.