A New Hand Mirror from Roman Libya

Abstract

Although some examples of hand mirrors are known from older excavations in Libya, a rock cut tomb at Sidi Hussein, Benghazi, has recently produced a piece with radiate edging, the first example of this type to be recorded for the country.The mirror unfortunately lacks its handle. It has the usual standard form of disc, decorated on the back with two heavy series of concentric circles at edge and centre, with, between them, a single circle. The radius of the piece is about 5.6 cm measured to the tip of a perfect ray. There are fourteen surviving rays, though originally there were probably sixteen. At the back there are traces of the solder plate of the handle in the form of a fleshy stylised willow leaf.The origin of this type of mirror can be traced back to the hand mirrors represented on South Italian painted pottery of the fourth and third centuries B.C., as shown for example on a small Apulian oinochoe in Chester (pl.B). No actual examples have yet been found, though a mirror which may well be related was found during excavations at Locri Epizephyrii and is now in the Museo Nazionale, Reggio di Calabria (inv. no.5201).The Roman radiate mirror has a border with between ten and thirty rays, usually with a simple terminal knob giving the characteristic profile. As with all Roman hand mirrors, the handle was separately cast using a bronze with a slightly higher percentage of lead than was used in the disc, probably so as to give extra weight and balance to the piece, as well as to aid the casting process.