Mirror

Artist Unknown Egyptian artist

Datecirca 1550–1295 BCE

MediumBronze

DimensionsH. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm) x Diam. of disc 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)

ClassificationsMetal

Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Gerhard L. Weinberg

Object number2016.23.5

On View

On view

Label TextA necessary article in any cosmetic kit since the Early Dynastic Period, the mirror was an everyday item. Yet it also had symbolic meaning—vitality and regeneration—because its highly polished surface reflected the image of a person. The Egyptian word for mirror is ankh, the same as the word for life. When a mirror was included with funerary belongings, this symbolism was particularly significant for the deceased. Great care was taken to protect the reflective discs, and mirrors were carefully wrapped in linen and placed inside a case. Fragments of linen incrusted in this corroded mirror can be seen on its surface.ProvenanceAstarte Gallery, London, UK; sold to Gerhard Weinberg, Efland, NC, 1984; on extended loan to NCMA, 2008–2016; given to NCMA, 2016.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement

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