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Silver mirror on a bronze stand, Roman, 200 BCE-200 CE
- Science Museum, London
- Digital Images
- Online
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Credit: Silver mirror on a bronze stand, Roman, 200 BCE-200 CE. Science Museum, London. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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About this work
Description
Mirrors were introduced into the Roman Empire from Egypt. This mirror, which is believed to be a copy, is made from silver and would have been highly polished to allow the user to study their reflection. The bronze base, which is original, shows a young man standing on a tortoise. The tortoise is associated with Aphrodite, the Roman goddess of fertility and with the Roman god Hermes, who made a lyre (a stringed instrument) from a tortoiseshell.
Wealthier Romans were concerned with their physical appearance. Mirrors such as these were likely to have been used during washing and when applying cosmetics.
maker: Unknown maker
Place made: Roman Republic and Empire