Inspired by a handsome pair of large gilded-looking glasses in the central passage in the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia, the impressive silvered Palace Passage Mirror brings panache and polish to today's interiors. The original mirrors, dating to about 1740, flank the doorway to the dining room, reflecting light from windows on the landing of the adjacent stairway. Glass and mirrors were extremely costly to produce in the early 18th century—think of the impact of Louis XIV's Hall of Mirrors—so a full-length mirror was a status symbol.