Psyché Cheval Floor Mirror

The full-length mirror was a marvel when it first appeared, made possible only when glassmakers learned to pour a sheet of glass large enough to show a person head to toe. Found in Lille and dating to the 19th century, this is a psyché, an arched mirror that tilts on its frame between two barley-twist posts, set on splayed legs with brass casters so it could be turned to the light. The French named it a psyché, after the great beauty of Greek myth, and a full-length swivel mirror like this was once the height of luxury, a thing only the grandest dressing rooms could hold. Sylvie stands it in a bedroom corner angled toward the window, its old, softly spotted glass giving back a gentler version of whoever stands before it.