- Richard Daniel De Puma –
and promoting an international effort to update and correct various inaccuracies in
Gerhard’s corpus. This new venture, called the Corpus Speculorum Etruscorum (CSE),
published its fi rst fascicules in 1981.^4 At the time of this writing a total of 31 fascicules
representing 13 countries have appeared.
A number of signifi cant improvements make the CSE an invaluable resource. As is
well known, the engravings on Etruscan mirrors are usually very diffi cult to see thanks
to the accumulation of corrosion products on the bronze surface. Thus, drawings of these
engravings have always been a necessity in their study. The fi rst four volumes of ES are
illustrated with drawings of the engraved sides (reverses) of the mirrors. Relatively few
drawings of the original refl ecting sides (obverses) are included. Only the last volume,
published in 1897, supplemented the drawings with a small number of photographs. By
contrast, the CSE fascicules have drawings and photographs that are usually reproduced to
scale of both sides of each mirror. Unengraved or minimally engraved mirrors, fragments,
and isolated mirror handles (bronze, bone or ivory) are also included. In several cases
there are also large, detailed photographs to illustrate especially interesting techniques or
features of the engraved designs, while X-ray photos and microphotographs show details
of metallurgical interest.
In addition to the visual documentation, the CSE also routinely includes “sections”
(similar to vase profi les). These fi rst appeared in the 1970s as another tool to understand
the evolution of mirror types.^5 Over time, mirror sections evolve (Fig. 58.1) from thick
and fl at to thinner and more convex (on the refl ecting side). The convex refl ecting surface
produced a wider than normal fi eld of view.^6 Still another tool unavailable to earlier
scholars is the chemical composition of the bronze alloy used to make the mirrors. Several,
but unfortunately not all, of the CSE fascicules include these data, which often help to
detect forgeries. Of course, the various committee members who oversee the editing
of these CSE fascicules have attempted to bring a consistent approach to the textual
documentation of each mirror as well. This often includes conservation reports and
thorough discussion of the physical condition of each mirror, a complete list of previous
publications, numerous measurements including weight, careful explication of any
Figure 58.1 Typical mirror sections. A: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, inv. 57.198; B, C and D:
Cleveland Museum of Art, inv. 52.259, inv. 20.170 and inv. 16.2012; E: Field Museum of Natural
History, Chicago, inv. 24376; F: formerly Rockford College Art Collection, Rockford, IL, inv. 125.
Drawings by the author.