Mirror

This object, possibly a mirror is etched with a series of concentric friezes with figurative designs. In the central medallion, two lions maul a bull below a vulture, whose presence signals the defeat of the bull. In the second frieze, we see a lion hunt narrative; several soldiers on both foot and horseback shoot at a lion who tramples a man underfoot. On the other side of the same frieze, a hunter (perhaps representing Herakles-Melqart) grapples with a lion and appears to be about to thrust his sword into the beast’s belly. The scenes take place in the wilderness, as demonstrated by the tree and animal motifs filling extra space. On the outside frieze soldiers and cavalrymen process into battle, accompanying two men in a chariot. A triangular tang extends from one portion of the disc.

The authenticity of this piece has been questioned. This complex narrative figuration is often seen inside metal “Levantine” bowls—particularly those found in Cyprus and Italy. In fact, the carved decoration on this piece, which is done in a manner that would be odd for a mirror, exactly replicates the design of a silver bowl from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb in Caere. Excavations at this archaeological site in 1836 brought to light four shallow silver bowls with complex figurative decoration, now heralded as “masterpieces” in the collections of the Musei Vaticani. If the mirror is ancient and not a modern object, it’s possible that someone sought to increase its value by embellishing it with the same design as the metal bowls valued by the 19th-century antiquities market.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Dikran Kelekian, Paris and New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1909, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.