Details

COLEM:JOS.507.97

Colchester Collections

Fine-type Roman hand mirror with separate handle. The disc is complete and unbroken, and not mounted. The handle is in two fragments (and a further third glued into place) and detached from main disc. On the disc, there are two small pin-holes drilled from the rear surface and penetrating to the reflecting surface. They sit opposite each other, equidistance from the rim (17mm), and likely originate from the original mounting of the piece on a grave group tablet. Reflecting Surface: Polished, mildly convex surface, with patches of red, green and black corrosion. There is a thinning towards the edge in some areas of the rim. The surface has evenly spaced (c.15-23mm apart) dot-and-ring incised decoration around the edge with no further decoration. Rear: Polished, mildly concave. Limited areas of corrosion. Two pairs of concentric circle decoration, one in the centre and the second around a third of the diameter out. No further circles around the rim. Location of handle attachment visible with raised corrosion and some scratching of the surface. This presumably was to allow for better adhering of the handle into place when soldered. Handle: Single loop handle with terminal knob, roughly finished. The knob is slightly right of centre (when viewed from the front of the handle, rear side of the mirror). Triangular disc support with 2-stepped side arms.

Roman

metal, metal

Disc diameter: 119.90 mm
Disc thickness: 1.02 mm
Disc weight: 136.00 g
Handle length: 84.81 mm
Handle width: 20.41 mm
Handle thickness: 2.30 mm
Handle weight: 10.00 g