Ancient Near East,Persian Empire, ca. 900 to 1100. A cast bronze mirror with one side smooth and polished and the other decorated with an ornate motif of two lions rampant inside a border of Old Kufic characters (time has made this difficult to translate). In between the two lions is a projecting, curved handle over the thorax that is pierced for suspension - perhaps this mirror was worn on a belt or kept on a cord. Comes with custom stand. Size: 4.05" W (10.3 cm); height on stand: 4.9" (12.4 cm).

Bronze mirrors were high status items for the Persians of this period; they have been found in tombs alongside gold, silver, and bronze banqueting material and their iconography often shows elite activities. The symbols here may have been identifiers or have had special significance for the person who commissioned it.

Provenance: Ex-private east coast, USA collection

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#120866

Green patina over surface, with encrustations on reflective surface, and clear design on the obverse.