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Description: | A copper-alloy cased mirror of Medieval date. The artefact consists of two shallow circular dished-shaped sides of equal proportions. The sides are joined by a hinge in which a perforated lug projecting from one side of the case sits between two similar lugs in the other side, and is held in place by a short axis bar. At the opposite end of the cases is a similar arrangement, although lacking any means of securing the two sides together. Protruding outwards from the edge of one side of the case, at 90 degrees to the alignment of the two aforementioned fixings, is a further perforated lug, probably designed as a means of suspending the mirror. Within the recessed underside of one side of the case is an outer ring of a white material which may be a calcium carbonate putty used to hold the original mirror in place. The mirror is missing, a corroded white glass infill having been removed by the finder. The underside of the mirror's other half also contains remnants of a corroded white material, albeit much less than the first. The upper surfaces of both plates bear the same design, the lines employed consisting of two back-to-back rows of punched triangular indentations. The pattern is contained within a perimeter border and takes the form of a cross with a vertically divided semi-circle in each angle. The artefact survives in good condition, the surfaces having a dark green patina and little wear or corrosion. The artefact measures (when closed) 46.5mm long, 39.3mm wide, 7.3mm thick and weighs 19.38g. The lids of three very similar mirrors were found in excavations in London (see Egan and Pritchard 1991: 361-2, nos. 1714, 1715 and 1716). The dating of the London examples suggests that this robust form of mirror case was probably introduced in the late 14th century (p. 365). For a further parallel, see Portable Antiquities and Treasure Annual Report 2007: 126, no. 257.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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