“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Everyone recognizes these fairy tale lines, but rarely is there a mirror worthy enough to play the role of the magic looking glass—until now. Minnesota-based mosaic artist Sharra Frank (herself a lovely character straight out of story lore,) has crafted an ornate, bejeweled mirror using Italian glass, freshwater pearls, vintage rhinestones, glass beads, and brass filigree— all the trinkets twinkling inside Donkeyskin’s magic walnut. Little Honey, embodies the best of fairy tale land and its associated splendors: otherworldly decoration, dramatic curvature, and glittering brilliance.

Little Honey Mirror. Designed by Sharra Frank.

Measuring 23h x 21.5w x 2d, the Little Honey Mirror is smaller than what I’d envision for the Queen from “Snow White,” but there aren’t too many contemporary stepmothers quite that evil (and if there were, they would not deserve the Little Honey Mirror). This lovely piece belongs to the just and fair of the world—I like to imagine that anyone undeserving of its beauty would shatter into a thousand slivers. I’m not far off in comparing Little Honey to the tales of yore. In fact, Frank admits that she’s been influenced by children’s literature (I am assuming the genre). The mosaic artist also draws from “Moorish architecture, vintage French interiors, botanicals” and other fantastical sources. You can see the Moorish influence (picture illustrations from The Arabian Nights) in the mirror’s shape, particularly its ogee arches. The Little Honey Mirror just might be the embodiment of one of Sinbad’s famous jewels from Serendib, an enchanted place where the valleys are lined with pearls.

Admittedly, Little Honey is not for everyone: the vitreous embellishment is a minimalist’s nightmare (but one person’s nocturnal terror is another person’s euphoric dream). Like good absinthe, the Little Honey Mirror is best used in moderation. I can see it scintillating against a charcoal wall in an understated study. Of course, one might simply indulge heedlessly and place Little Honey above a mirrored vanity in a powder room of robin’s egg blue.