Mirror with Split-Leaf Palmette Design Inlaid with Gold
Unknown Artist
early 16th century
Medium
Iron, inlaid with gold; ivory
Dimensions
H. 9 3/8 in. (23.8 cm) Diam. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) D. 1/8 in. (0.2 cm)
Classification
Metal
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1972
Accession Number
1972.24
Art Historical Context
This elegant hand mirror, dating to the early 16 century, showcases the refined metalworking traditions of the Islamic world. Crafted from iron inlaid with shimmering gold, it features a split-leaf palmette design—a stylized plant motif symbolizing vitality and paradise gardens, common in Islamic decorative arts. The mirror's polished surface, framed within a 9⅜-inch-high (23.8 cm) oval, measures just 4¾ inches (12.1 cm) in diameter and a mere ⅛ inch (0.2 cm) thick, making it a portable luxury item likely used for personal grooming by elites. The artistry lies in the *koftgari* technique, whe...