Thomas Johnson (1723-1778) was one of the most skilled carvers and furniture designers in Georgian England. He was a champion of both the rococo movement and chinoiserie taste, and his elaborate designs often wove the two styles together.
 
Johnson was born in 1723 as one of twelve children to a London builder and developer, Joel Johnson. At 13, he began working as an apprentice to his cousin, Robert Johnson, who was a carver and gilder in Frith Street, Soho. Once he finished his apprenticeship he joined the workshop of the carver and gilder James Whittle, which is where Johnson first met Matthias Lock. Johnson refers to Lock as ‘the famous Matthias Lock, a most excellent Carver, and reputed to be the best Ornament draughts-man in Europe.’
 
In addition to its relation to Johnson’s designs, this mirror also reflects the influence of Lock. Lock published many sketches and pattern books, including A New Book of Ornaments for Looking Glasses in 1752, which features a design for a mirror with similarly intertwined branches climbing up each side of the mirror frame and pagoda cresting with hanging bells.
 
Johnson first produced his designs in 1755 in a publication entitled Twelve Girandoles. He followed up with a more ambitious set of designs published monthly in 1756 and 1757 entitled A New Book of Ornaments that were fashioned ‘in the Chinese, Gothick, and Rural Taste.’
 
In addition to his work with Whittle, Johnson also provided a great number of designs to the carver Thomas Vialls of Great Newport Street, who had prestigious patrons including the Earls of Radnor at Longford Castle, William Constable of Burton Constable, and the 3rd Duke of Dorset.
 
Johnson was widely admired by his contemporaries. In Mortimer’s Universal Director on 1763, Johnson was described as a ‘Carver, Teacher of Drawing and Modelling and Author of a Book of Designs for Chimney-pieces and other ornaments and of several other pieces.’