Silver and silver-mounted furniture has been a popular luxury since the 16th century at least. The earliest example of silver furniture in England is a suite of a table mirror and candlestands with the cypher of Charles II. They feature acanthus leaves and floral swags, with a presumed date of around 1665.

Humankinds earliest mirrors were likely still pools of dark water, or perhaps water within a vessel that allowed it to be still and flat, creating a suitably accurate reflection. The earliest manufactured mirrors were made from polishing stone such as obsidian. Obsidian mirrors are dated as early as 6000 BC. Polished copper became the material of choice by 4000 BC Mesopotamia and also in Egypt from around 3000 BC. Ancient China and South American societies used polished bronze mirrors around 2000 BC.

Polished stone mirrors were difficult to keep accurate the larger the mirror got, and distortion was more common around the edges. For this reason, smaller hand mirrors were more common. All mirrors from this time were very poor reflectors of colour, and their images were largely dark.

Glass mirrors as we know them today were being crafted in China as early as 500 AD. These mirrors required coating metallic objects with silver-mercury amalgams.

Over time, mirrors became more ornate, becoming the elaborate antiques that are highly valued in today’s market. Hand mirrors maintain popularity, and antiques in good condition are sought after collectables.