SEAN HEMINGWAY: Richard DePuma is Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa, and an expert on Etruscan art.

RICHARD DEPUMA: This is a beautiful example of an Etruscan mirror. The Etruscans made thousands of mirrors. They normally made them out of bronze, and they polished the bronze on one side so that it would reflect your image. We have displayed all of these mirrors with their non-reflecting surface toward the viewer, the side that has some subject matter. And, we’ve also used smaller-scale drawings so that you can read those subjects a little bit more clearly. We know who all of the figures are on this mirror not only because of the way they’re positioned and what they’re doing, but especially because each one is provided with an inscription.

SEAN HEMINGWAY: Here is Thetis, the beautiful sea nymph, about to be wed to the Greek mortal, Peleus. They become the parents of the Greek hero, Achilles. Both Achilles and his mother, Thetis, figure prominently on the bronze Etruscan chariot in this gallery.

On this mirror, Peleus watches Thetis as she prepares for her bridal bath. Assisted by the sea nymph, Galene, Thetis gazes at herself in a mirror as she adjusts a lock of her hair. What might she be thinking? What might the Etruscan woman, who once owned this mirror, be thinking as she gazed at herself and coifed her hair?

Behind Thetis is an engraved cista, or toiletries box, containing two alabastra—that is, perfume vases. You can see an actual example of a bronze toiletries box in the nearby display case. Be sure to take a closer look before you move on.