Mirror with a Pair of Addorsed Sphinxes with Scorpion Tails
Unknown Artist
12th–13th century
Medium
Bronze; cast
Dimensions
H. 7/16 in. (1.1 cm) Diam. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm) Wt. 8.8 oz. (249.5 g)
Classification
Metal
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Anna Palmer Draper, 1915
Accession Number
15.43.285
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze mirror, crafted in the 12th–13th, hails from the Islamic world and showcases the era's mastery of metal casting. Measuring just 4⅛ inches in diameter but weighing a substantial 8.8 ounces, its thick, disc-like form features a pair of addorsed sphinxes—mythical creatures with human heads, leonine bodies, and unusual scorpion tails—arranged back-to-back on the reverse. Produced through lost-wax casting, a technique allowing intricate details like the beasts' flowing manes and segmented tails, this mirror was likely a luxury item for personal grooming or as a status symbol a...