Mirror with Papyrus Handle Featuring Two Ibex Heads
ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.
1 of 7
Object Label
The Egyptians associated mirrors with female sexuality and rebirth. Women needed mirrors to apply cosmetics and style their hair. Mirrors were thereby intimately connected with the eroticism that led to rebirth.
Mirrors were also a symbol of cosmic creation. The disc of the mirror on a papyrus-plant handle symbolized the moment when the creator-god emerged from the primordial swamp in the form of the sun. Creation then subdued the chaos of the deserts, here represented by the two ibex heads. This symbolic depiction of the original creation served as an aid to the self’s re-creation in the tomb.
Mirrors were also a symbol of cosmic creation. The disc of the mirror on a papyrus-plant handle symbolized the moment when the creator-god emerged from the primordial swamp in the form of the sun. Creation then subdued the chaos of the deserts, here represented by the two ibex heads. This symbolic depiction of the original creation served as an aid to the self’s re-creation in the tomb.
Caption
Mirror with Papyrus Handle Featuring Two Ibex Heads, ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.. Bronze, handle: 4 3/16 × 3 9/16 × 13/16 in. (10.7 × 9 × 2 cm) disk: 4 1/8 × 3 3/4 × 5/16 in. (10.5 × 9.5 × 0.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 75.168a-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Mirror with Papyrus Handle Featuring Two Ibex Heads
Date
ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
handle: 4 3/16 × 3 9/16 × 13/16 in. (10.7 × 9 × 2 cm) disk: 4 1/8 × 3 3/4 × 5/16 in. (10.5 × 9.5 × 0.8 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
75.168a-b
Frequent Art Questions
I see this mirror, but I can't determine how one would have seen their reflection. Was there glass at one time?
No, there wouldn't have been glass on the mirror as we think of a mirror today. The mirror would have been highly polished, allowing for something of a reflection!That was my other option. Thanks! That was really helpful.How is this a mirror?
It would have been very highly polished, so that its flat surface would have been shiny and reflective!Thanks!The circular shape of the mirror may have also had associations with the sun for its original users! Did you notice the two animal heads and a papyrus stalk on the handle?YesThe ancient Egyptians took every opportunity to incorporate symbolic imagery into everyday life. The "everyday" objects are so interesting to me, since the ancient Egyptians expected the afterlife to be very much like earthly life, they would need the same things.What were these mirrors made out of?
They were made out of exactly what you see in the case, just bronze or other metals! The metal was highly polished in order to make them reflective.The glass on mirrors today simply protects a reflective metal coating.Thanks!You're welcome! As with many decorative arts from ancient Egypt, there is a highly symbolic element. Did you notice the mirror surface is an oval? It's the shape the sun appears to be just after sunrise!Amazing.Indeed! The sun and its cycle was, understandably, one of the most important concepts in ancient Egyptian beliefs.
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