LOT 0077

Greek Bronze Mirror with Eros and Aphrodite

LATE CLASSIC-EARLY HELLENISTIC PERIOD, MID-LATE 4TH CENTURY B.C.

6 in. (1.17 kg total, 15 cm).

A circular box mirror comprising: a lid featuring a hammered sheet repoussé appliqué of Eros and Aphrodite, god and goddess of love, standing on either side of a thymiaterion, or censer associated with religious worship and ritual; Eros with wings outstretched, left hand supporting the top tier of the censer, right hand lowered to his side holding a wreath(?); much delicate incised detailing to his wings indicating a feathered texture; Aphrodite standing to the right, wearing a floor-length woollen tunic or chiton, a pleated himation around her waist and draped over her left arm; right hand held above the top tier of the censer; the scene is framed within an incised circular roundel; the interior of the lid, and the base including its flange, featuring a series of lathe-turned concentric circular mouldings; both halves mounted on a cleverly designed custom-made stand, which reproduces the human act of lifting the lid off the mirror base; museum-quality.

Private collection, London, 1975.
with Christie's, Rockefeller Plaza, New York, 9 June 2011, no.109.

Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Kallos Gallery catalogue pages where the mirror is published.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12054-213612.

A Greek Bronze Mirror and Cover, Kallos Gallery Catalogue 4, London W1, UK, 2019, item no.13.

See Comstock, M. and Vermeule, C., Greek, Etruscan and Roman Bronzes in the Museum of Fine Art Boston, 1971, no.36; see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 07.259, for another example of a box mirror featuring Eros.

Handleless mirrors were luxury items that began to be produced in the second half of the 5th century B.C. Themes surrounding Aphrodite were very popular at this time. During the 4th century B.C. Eros was commonly depicted as a slim youth approaching manhood rather than as a child, as he is shown here on our example. Eros and Aphrodite are the two Greek deities most famously believed to induce desire.