Hand Mirror
Ancient Egyptian
-1550–-1295
- Medium
- Copper alloy
- Dimensions
- 20 × 10.3 × 2.2 cm (7 7/8 × 4 1/16 × 7/8 in.)
- Genre
- mirror
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
metalworkeighteenth dynastyramesside periodritualstwentieth dynastysculptureancient artbronzenineteenth dynastymirrorcopper alloyegyptianancientnew kingdomBeauty
About
The round disk of this hand mirror was originally polished to a reflective sheen. The elegant shape of the handle references papyrus plants that grew in Egypt’s marshy regions. Together, the handle and disk evoke an image of the sun rising from a papyrus umbel (flower cluster), a symbol of the sun’s daily regeneration. The ancient Egyptian words for mirror and life are homonyms, so this object’s shape also playfully refers to the ankh hieroglyph used to write both words.
