The Mysore Mirror

The inspiration for this Mirror Frame came from my grandfather’s home in Davangere, Karnataka, India. My family would visit there from California every other year when I was a kid. I had a vague recollection of the mirror which bade you goodbye as you exited the house.

When my grandparents and extended family in Davangere all passed away, they tore down the century-old house. The mirror went to my uncle in Bangalore, though my father admired it very much. I decided to replicate the mirror based on a single photograph. My wife and I registered for a 9 week intro woodworking course at Central Tech High School in Toronto in the summer of 2012, where I learned some basic skills.

All the parts of the frame were milled to size at my friend’s shop, but all the joinery (half-laps, full laps, and sliding dovetails) and decorative shapes were done using hand tools in our apartment kitchen. The ebony plugs were an homage to my Californian upbringing (a la Greene and Greene).

With the help of the Wood Whisperer’s expert videos on the General Finishes Dye stains and shellac top coating, the mirror was completed and shipped to my folks in California.