A Bronze Mirror With A Long Handle And Head Of A Woman For Sale

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This fascinating bronze mirror comprises of a circular disk affixed to a long and elegant handle with two rivets. The thin disk made from hammered metal and once highly polished is crafted with uncommon perfection as is the solid-cast handle which features two ribbed bands and is surmounted by the head of a woman with an elaborate hairstyle. The piece has an excellent deep-green patina as shown above.

BACKGROUND:
As in this example, mirrors in the Ancient World were mostly hand mirrors made from polished metal. Rome was known for truly enhancing the craftsmanship of the mirror. Many of the innovations in the development of mirrors that we take for granted today can trace their origins to Roman improvements on a seemingly simple concept. The mirror was quite important in ancient Rome because cleanliness and grooming were highly valued in the empire. (This is why public baths were so popular). It would be quite difficult to maintain cleanliness without access to a mirror. Spending too much time in front of a mirror was thought to denote that a woman was weak in character.

7.9 inches in length (200 mm). Intact with labeling attached.

COA AND PROVENANCE:
A High Quality Counterfeit from the workshop of retired British art forgerJohn Andrews. Andrews’ work has been featured in numerous Television Broadcasts and the International Press, and has been shown in major exhibitions at London’s Victoria&Albert Museumand Bolton Museum, where the pieces were described as “Some of the best faked and forged artworks in our history”. Unsurprisingly, his work is now highly collectable with examples being known to exchange hands for thousands of pounds. Many “Study Pieces” can be found in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and numerous Academic Institutions around the world. Each work of art we offer at sale, and any accompanying documentation or labeling is Fully Guaranteed to be from Andrews’ studios and is sold with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist. The re-sale of any of our pieces as a genuine antiquity is illegal and is therefore strictly forofferden.

FULLY INSURED PACKING AND SHIPPING:
£9.99 Royal Mail Special Delivery™ Next Day. £14.99 Royal Mail International Signed-For.

T H E P H O S P H E N E G A L L E R Y

D E C E P T I V E L Y A N C I E N T A R T

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This item has been shown 367 times. A Bronze Mirror With A Long Handle And Head Of A Woman: $206