Mirror, ca. 1690
London, England
Deal and "japanning"
Lent by John H. Bryan

Chinoiserie designs often feature a lone figure in an exotic landscape similar to the scene on the crest of this mirror. This popular motif may be related to the notion of sharawadgi and Sir William Temple’s interest in the ancient Roman philosopher named Epicurus. Epicurianism, which gained some popularity in late seventeenth-century England, embraced the belief that life should be centered around the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. To this end, followers advocated contemplative seclusion in naturalistic settings.