Mirror with Handle

500–700

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 300

A polished disk with a handle was a popular type of mirror in the Byzantine world. A secular object, this mirror was probably donated to the church for its monetary value. It may also have been valued for its amuletic qualities, as mirrors were believed to deflect evil.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Mirror with Handle
Date: 500–700
Geography: Made in Antioch, Syria
Culture: Syrian
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: Overall (with handle 52.37): 9 1/8 x 1 in. (23.2 x 2.6 cm)
without handle: 9 1/8 x 3/8 in. (23.2 x 0.9 cm)
Overall: 8 7/16 x 1 5/16 x 1 1/8 in. (21.4 x 3.3 x 2.8 cm)
Classification: Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1947; Gift of Fahim Kouchakji, 1952
Object Number: 47.100.35; 52.37
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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