Harvard Art Museums > 1895.241.G: Mirror Handle Mirrors Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Mirror Handle , 1895.241.G,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, May 01, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/287275. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1895.241.G Title Mirror Handle Classification Mirrors Work Type mirror handle Date mid 4th century BCE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World Period Classical period, Late Culture Greek Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/287275 Physical Descriptions Medium Copper alloy Technique Cast, lost-wax process Dimensions 5.3 x 4.2 x 0.8 cm (2 1/16 x 1 5/8 x 5/16 in.) Technical Details Technical Observations: The surface of the straight component is less encrusted with corrosion products than the loop section, but the overall coloration of the patina is similar over the two sections: mostly green with some tan accretions over cupritic reddish brown that shows through in the few worn areas. Most of the pieces assembled under 1895.241 have at least a few small crystalline black growths of copper sulfide that result from post-excavation storage conditions. 1895.241.G is a handle cast in two pieces. The larger loop part with its simple faceted shape may have been cast in a piece mold. Its slight asymmetry may result from distortion necessary to fit it into the central horizontal rod. The straight component may also have been cast in a piece mold but would have been reworked in the metal to enhance the decorative features. One side of this element is flattened—no doubt in the area that would have served to mount the handle to an object. It is not clear whether the accretion on one part of this area is the remains of a solder-like material. There is no indication that this handle was originally combined with the other parts of 1895.241. Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Professor C.E. Norton and Richard Norton Accession Year 1895 Object Number 1895.241.G Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums This rotating handle’s ends are attached to a central horizontal rod, which fits through a central reel-like perforated cover. The cover consists of two convex elements framing a fin-like reel. The handle itself bends symmetrically back inward, then ends in an oval loop. This handle probably served for hanging a box mirror and would have been placed one hundred eighty degrees opposite the hinge that connected the two sections of mirror. David G. Mitten Subjects and Contexts Ancient Bronzes Related Works 1895.241.B Part of a Box Mirror Mirrors 1895.241.E Part of a Box Mirror Mirrors 1895.241.A Part of a Box Mirror Mirrors 1895.241.C Part of a Box Mirror Mirrors 1895.241.D Mirror Case Hinge Fragment Mirrors Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
