one of a finds: wagon wheel mirror

Rustic animal-drawn wagons, often up to 20’ in length, are still a common sight in India transporting people, goods and agricultural produce throughout the country—the only modernization being the change to more durable and shock-absorbing rubber tires.

Discovered in Gujarat—the westernmost state of India and a trading center since ancient times—each of these unique hardwood wheels has a history dating back to the 1930s.

Finding beauty even in the utilitarian, each worn and weathered wheel shows evidence of hand-carved concentric designs and skilled woodworking joinery piecing six sections in the round.

Over the decades, this repurposed wagon wheel mirror has traveled many miles over the rough Indian terrain to reach its final destination. Each is fit with a new polished mirror, reflecting on journeys past and the invention (and re-invention) of the wheel.