The Mermaid's Secret: A Sterling Silver Aqua Guilloché Mirror
The Mermaid's Secret: A Sterling Silver Aqua Guilloché Mirror made in England by Adie Brothers in the 1920s- 1930s.
This mirror is a true piece of this sparkling history, a hand mirror designed to sit proudly on a dressing table.
It features a solid sterling silver base, giving it a reassuring weight and quality.
English maker Adie Brothers, from the famous metalworking city of Birmingham, loved this vibrant, sky-meets-sea shade of blue or a refreshing aqua-green. It was the colour of a cheerful spring sky, trapped forever under glass.
Examine the enamel closely; you'll see a pattern of concentric, wavy rings. This is the guilloché itself, the magic that gives the enamel its depth and movement.
These pieces were particularly beloved during the Art Deco periods, where elegant simplicity and geometric precision were all the rage. This mirror, with its colourful enamel, is a stylish echo of the flapper era's glamour and the desire for beautiful, everyday luxury.
So, when you hold it, remember you're not just holding a mirror, but a piece of the past—a mechanical marvel wrapped in a glass coat, ready to reflect the next chapter of its whimsical life!
There is some wear from age on the Guilloche handle which is to be expected being almost 100 years old. Also one small dent on the handle and age spots on silver Please see pictures 📸
All items are in vintage and antique preloved condition. Some minor surface scratches may be present. I do my best to note and photograph any wear. Please contact me with any further questions :)
The magical story of Adie Brothers :)
🎩 The Birth of a Silver Empire (1879–1922) 🎩
Our tale begins with the two ingenious brothers, Percy and Hubert Adie, around 1879. They weren't just silversmiths; they were part of a grand Birmingham tradition of manufacturing fancy goods. Think of them as the wizards of the dressing table!
Their business wasn't just metal, mind you. In 1906, they had a grand merger, incorporating themselves with a firm of jewellers and, crucially, with a firm of case and box makers. This union was the very magic spell that allowed them to become the masters of the vanity set. They weren't just making a brush; they were making a collection, perfectly housed and beautifully co-ordinated, ready to grace the most fashionable boudoirs of the Edwardian and Art Deco eras.
🌈 The Reign of the Guilloché Glimmer (The Roaring Twenties & Thirties) 🌈
The greatest, most shimmering chapter of the Adie Brothers saga is, without a doubt, their love affair with guilloché enamel. They were among the most prolific creators of these dazzling pieces, especially in the 1920s and 1930s.
While they made everything from hefty silver tea sets to elegant sauce boats, it was their vanity cases, mirrors, powder bowls, and dressing table sets that truly made their guilloché shine!
The brothers were clever, and not just with a hammer. They were all about patents! They filed for special inventions to make sure their fragile enamel didn't crack or chip when the silver was being finished (like being dipped for gilding). This meant their glittering, glassy surfaces were built to last, which is why this mirror is still here today!
Their designs were pure Art Deco glamour—think sharp lines, geometric patterns, and rich, solid blocks of colour. They favoured the bright, translucent hues—the clear sky blues, the vivid coral pinks, the seafoam greens—that would catch the light and make the swirling guilloché pattern underneath just sing!
Adie Brothers sterling silver pieces became the must-have accessory for any fashionable lady, turning the simple act of powdering one’s nose or smoothing one’s hair into a luxurious, sparkling ritual.
🕰️ The Curtain Closes (Mid-20th Century) 🕰️
Like many of the great silver houses of Birmingham, the Adie Brothers' story eventually wound down. They even turned their hands to wartime production during the 1940s—a fascinating pivot from making glamorous compacts to making crucial munitions parts!
However, the glitter of the silver age faded after the war. In the late 1960s, the firm became part of a larger silver collective and ultimately closed its doors in 1968.
But their legacy? It lives on every time one of their gleaming, beautifully enamelled pieces catches the light. Your mirror isn't just a silver object; it's a piece of that glamorous, engine-turned, perfectly enamelled history—a testament to the brothers who made the ordinary utterly magical.