Attributed to Isleta Tinsmith Large Tin Frame with Mirror, ca. 1885-1920
Tin frame with reverse painted glass panels in red and white. Large lunette, rounded fan shape corners and small side wings with delicate floral stamp work

Northern New Mexico tinwork was made to approximate the look of silver, at a time when the possession of silver by anyone unauthorized by the Spanish government was illegal. Tinsmiths realized once the Santa Fe Trail opened that much of the perishable freight being transported along the trail was sealed in tin cans, which once opened were discarded. By flattening out the tin and cutting and stamping the flat pieces, tinsmiths could produce works worthy of using as decoration in homes and churches. On some pieces, remnants of food and oil can labels can still be seen on the reverse of the tinwork..
Mirror: 15 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (40.01 x 24.77 cm.), Frame: 29 x 21 1/4 in. (73.66 x 53.98 cm.)
Private Collection, New Mexico