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Mirror with a Support in the Form of a Draped Woman
Bronze, Greek, Argive, "perhaps Peloponnesian," 5th century B.C.
Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971 (1972.118.78)
The Wiener Gallery
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The several parts of this bronze mirror join in a harmonious whole. A female supporting figure, a caryatid, assumes the natural stance classical sculpture portrays so effortlessly. Her left knee comes forward just enough to show that her weight is on her right leg; her simple garment adds stability to the pose.
As a mirror, this object was meant to be admired largely from the front, but the artist who made it included beautiful details in the back as well. The figure holds a bird in her right hand; her thumb curves up from the joint, true to the structure of the human hand and in place to hold the bird securely. You can also pick out every strand of her hair and a string of tiny beads on her head.
When the mirror was new, the circle above the caryatid would have reflected your face, tinged with the golden sheen of polished bronze. On the border around the edge, a dog bounds after a hare on either side. At the top, between two rosettes is a siren, a female monster noted for her beautiful voice and irresistible attractiveness. Try to imagine the mirror with a smaller siren, or larger dogs and hares, or without the two rosettes. Every one of these elements affects the whole. You see how gracefully the Greek artist combined them to achieve a balanced composition.
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