COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
AIC_.1984.1341
amicoid
AIC_.1984.1341
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
oty
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Etruscan
crc
European; Southern European; Etruscan
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
Etruria (anc.), Italy Europe,Italy,Etruria (region),Etruria (anc.)
cdt
Etruria (anc.), Italy Europe,Italy,Etruria (region),Etruria (anc.)
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Etruscan
crt
Etruscan
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Hand Mirror
otn
Hand Mirror
Title
false
Title Type:
preferred
ott
preferred
Title Type
false
View:
front view
rid
front view
View
false
Creation Date:
Archaic Period, 470/50 B.C.
oct
Archaic Period, 470/50 B.C.
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
-470
ocs
-470
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
-450
oce
-450
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze
omd
Bronze
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Metalwork
clt
Metalwork
Classification Term
false
Subject Description:
The mirror was cast of solid bronze and then polished. The obverse, or original reflecting side, is decorated with a series of volutes engraved just above the tang, an extension that once held a now missing handle of bone or ivory. The reverse, or non-reflecting side, is elaborately engraved with a scene that depicts the death of the hero Memnon. According to Greek legends, Memnon was the son of Eos, goddess of the dawn, and Tithonos, brother of King Priam of Troy. The king of Ethiopia and an ally of theTrojans in their war against the Greeks, Memnon was killed by Achilles, another product of a divine mother (Thetis) and a mortal father (Peleus). The mirror shows Eos (whom the Etruscans called Thesan) holding the body of her dead son. She stands on an elegant ground line below which is engraved a pair of volutes. Ivy frames the entire scene. Eos wears voluminous drapery and has intricately engraved wings. Her nude son drops his helmet and sword.
sup
The mirror was cast of solid bronze and then polished. The obverse, or original reflecting side, is decorated with a series of volutes engraved just above the tang, an extension that once held a now missing handle of bone or ivory. The reverse, or non-reflecting side, is elaborately engraved with a scene that depicts the death of the hero Memnon. According to Greek legends, Memnon was the son of Eos, goddess of the dawn, and Tithonos, brother of King Priam of Troy. The king of Ethiopia and an ally of theTrojans in their war against the Greeks, Memnon was killed by Achilles, another product of a divine mother (Thetis) and a mortal father (Peleus). The mirror shows Eos (whom the Etruscans called Thesan) holding the body of her dead son. She stands on an elegant ground line below which is engraved a pair of volutes. Ivy frames the entire scene. Eos wears voluminous drapery and has intricately engraved wings. Her nude son drops his helmet and sword.
Subject Description
false
Creation Place:
Europe,Italy,Lazio (region),Viterbo (province),Vulci
ocp
Europe,Italy,Lazio (region),Viterbo (province),Vulci
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
Diam.: 15.2 cm (6 in.); H.: 16.9 cm (6-5/8 in.)
met
Diam.: 15.2 cm (6 in.); H.: 16.9 cm (6-5/8 in.)
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
The Art Institute of Chicago
oon
The Art Institute of Chicago
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
oop
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1984.1341
ooa
1984.1341
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
The Art Institute of Chicago, Katherine K. Adler Endowment
ooc
The Art Institute of Chicago, Katherine K. Adler Endowment
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html"target="_new">http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html</a>
Rights
false
Context:
Etruscan, probably from Vulci. The popularity of this particular subject on Etruscan mirrors at this time may be due to the fact that many women, the owners of these objects, had lost sons in a series of wars. They may have found solace in knowing that even a goddess had suffered an identical loss. The workshop that made this mirror was probably located in the ancient city of Vulci, a major center of bronze production.
cxd
Etruscan, probably from Vulci. The popularity of this particular subject on Etruscan mirrors at this time may be due to the fact that many women, the owners of these objects, had lost sons in a series of wars. They may have found solace in knowing that even a goddess had suffered an identical loss. The workshop that made this mirror was probably located in the ancient city of Vulci, a major center of bronze production.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
AIC_.E28505.TIF
ril
AIC_.E28505.TIF
Related Image Identifier Link
false