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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

Object Information
  • 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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