Artwork Page for Box Mirror with Head of Athena (disk)

Details / Information for Box Mirror with Head of Athena (disk)

Box Mirror with Head of Athena (disk)

330–270 BCE

Greece, Hellenistic period

View all records in artwork set
Medium
bronze, partially gilt
Measurements
Diameter: 11.3 cm (4 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1972.66.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
102B Greek
Print
?

Did You Know?

Although now green rather than golden in color, this bronze disk was once polished to a reflective sheen.

Description

The ancient Greek box mirror resembles a modern, hinged makeup compact in design. While the actual mirror is the top of the bottom half of the box—a highly polished cast-bronze disk—the cover often bears relief decoration. This example features a helmeted head of Athena, a virgin war goddess not typically associated with implements of beauty. Several other aspects suggest that this Athena may have been repurposed from another object in antiquity: the striking difference in patina between relief and case; the irregular (noncircular) shape; and the method of attachment, with rivets through the relief rather than solder.

Box Mirror with Head of Athena (disk)

330–270 BCE

Greece, Hellenistic period

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.