You can hardly flip a page in a design magazine without coming across one of these gilded creations — but today’s passion for sunburst mirrors is hardly new. With design roots in the Middle Ages and Versailles, the sunburst mirror has a fascinating (and long) history.

Origin
The sunburst as a decorative motif may have its roots in the halos surrounding figures in medieval religious art. During the 17th century, the Catholic church began using elaborate monstrances — decorative stands used to display the communion wafer — adorned with gilded rays. Churches in Italy (most famously St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome) often had gilded sunbursts above the altar.