Rajasthani Jharokha Mirror with Opening Doors – 20x16 Inches

This is the one with doors that actually open. Two gold shutters, pierced with quatrefoil and teardrop cutouts and hung on real brass hinges with small turned knobs, close across the mirror behind them. Shut, it reads as a painted panel — a palace window with its shutters drawn. Open, it is a mirror. It is the most worked piece in our jharokha range and the only one that does two things.

What the surround is made of

Not paint alone. On two of the three colourways the whole surround is a lattice of small mirror pieces set by hand into the panel and outlined in gold — the same glass-inlay tradition as Lippan work, laid out in a diamond grid that runs edge to edge. Set one chip crooked and the grid shows it, which is why this is slow work. The third colourway, Timber Green, is painted instead: fine gold scrolling vine brushed across a deep green ground.

All three carry a raised gold beaded border around the perimeter and a second gold fillet inside it. Held at an angle in daylight the mirror chips fire one at a time as you move past. A printed panel cannot do that.

The three colourways

• Timber Green — deep green ground, fine gold scrolling vine, painted edge to edge
• Coffee Bean — dark brown ground with a dense mirror-chip lattice, gold outlining and scattered red florets
• Jungle Green — deep forest green with a gold and mirror-chip lattice

Details

• 20"L × 16"W × 12mm thick
• Weight: 2 kg
• MDF panel with a glass mirror
• Hand-set mirror inlay on Coffee Bean and Jungle Green; hand-painted gold vine on Timber Green
• Two working shutter doors on brass hinges, with knobs
• Pierced quatrefoil and teardrop cutouts in the door panels
• Raised gold beaded border
• Handcrafted in India
• Flat metal hanging bracket fitted to the back

Where it goes

Entryways, above a console, at the end of a hallway — anywhere a single object is meant to be the thing you notice. Under a picture light or beside a lamp it earns its keep twice over, because the inlay needs a light source to do its work. Because it can be displayed closed, it also suits a room where a mirror facing the bed or the front door is unwanted for Vastu reasons: shut the doors and it is a panel.

Hanging it

A flat metal bracket is fitted to the back. At 2 kg, and with doors that swing, use a screw into a stud or a rated drywall anchor so it cannot shift when the shutters are opened. Screws and wall anchors are not supplied.

Care

Dust the surround and the pierced doors with a dry, soft brush — the cutouts and the inlay both collect dust, and a cloth will snag on the mirror edges. Glass cleaner on the centre mirror only, applied to the cloth rather than sprayed. Never spray liquid onto the inlay. Do not oil the hinges.

Frequently asked questions

Do the doors really open?
Yes. They are hung on brass hinges and have knobs. They swing fully back against the frame, and they can be left open, closed, or part-open.

Why is this $160 when your other 20 × 16 jharokha is $85?
Because of the work in it. The plain one is white line work on a coloured ground — beautiful, but one surface. This one has a hand-set mirror-inlay surround or full gold scrollwork, a raised beaded border, and two separately cut, pierced, painted doors hung on brass hardware. It is several times the labour and it uses real glass in the surround as well as the centre.

Are those real mirror pieces in the border?
Yes, on Coffee Bean and Jungle Green — small pieces of real mirror glass set into the panel by hand and outlined in gold. Timber Green is the painted version, with no inlay.

Is the mirror full size behind the doors?
The centre mirror sits in the arched opening behind the shutters, so with the doors open you see the full arch.

Is the frame wood?
No — MDF, and we would rather say so. The value here is in the inlay, the hand-painting and the hinged doors.

Can I order several?
Yes. For hospitality, stores, events or corporate gifting, email contact@urliutsav.com and we will quote you for a bulk order.

Shipping and assurance

Free insured shipping across the USA and Canada. Ships from San Ramon, California, usually within one business day. If it arrives damaged, send us a photo and we will resolve it — transit damage is covered.

See the full range in the Jharokha Wall Frames collection.