Collection record · Everyday wonders
Mirror
The collection record classifies this work as metalwork. It is dated c. 470–460 BCE. Recorded culture or place: Greece, Sicyon(?).
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Mirror
- Date
- c. 470–460 BCE
- Culture / origin
- Greece, Sicyon(?)
- Materials and technique
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 15.3 cm (6 in.); Overall: 38.8 cm (15 1/4 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1950.7
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
Named for their figured handles, Greek caryatid mirrors may derive from similar types created in ancient Egypt many centuries earlier (like CMA 1983.196). Greek caryatid handles typically take the form of a beautiful, draped woman like this one, whether mortal or divine (perhaps the love goddess Aphrodite). Often, she holds a small offering, here a flower. The small, winged women (Nikai) flanking her are unusual among such mirrors, which often feature Erotes in this position. In antiquity, the unadorned disk would have been highly polished and reflective, and the figure would have stood on an integrated base.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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