Silver mirror
Unknown Artist
4th century CE
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 5 3/16 in. (13.2 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Culture & Period
Roman · Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989
Accession Number
1989.281.82
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silver mirror, dating to the 4th century CE, hails from the Roman Imperial period and exemplifies the refined metalworking of Late Antiquity. Measuring just 5 3/16 inches (13.2 cm) in, it was a portable luxury item, likely used for personal grooming by affluent Romans. Crafted from polished silver—a precious metal prized for its lustrous reflectivity—this mirror reflects the empire's advanced techniques in hammering, chasing, and polishing, which produced highly functional yet elegant objects. In Roman culture, mirrors were more than utilitarian; they symbolized beauty, vanity,...