- Richard Daniel De Puma –
bronze mirror handles should be sampled in the same manner and analyzed by the same
technique in the same laboratory. This is unlikely to happen. However, despite these
concerns, Judith Swaddling and her colleagues at the British Museum have determined
some basic points: (1) Etruscan mirrors are made primarily of tin bronze, that is they
have a relatively high concentration of tin when compared to bronze alloys used for
statuettes, vessels or helmets, and contemporaneous Greek mirrors; (2) the percentage of
tin is essentially consistent at about 10–11 percent over the entire time Etruscan mirrors
are being produced; (3) very few Etruscan mirrors contain more than one percent lead,
although over time lead content rises for all bronzes in Etruria and Greece. This last
phenomenon is probably the result of the growing incidence of reused scrap bronze.^28
A rare variation on these mirror types is the relief mirror where the fi gural scene is not
chased or engraved but cast in shallow relief. Only about a dozen mirrors of this type are
extant.^29 Some have additional metals inlaid in their designs to enhance the appearance
and, no doubt, increase the cost. In the realm of mirrors, these are probably among the
most expensive status symbols available to the Etruscan elite.
An important variant of the Etruscan tang and handle mirrors was developed at
Praeneste, modern Palestrina. These mirrors have discs that are piriform rather than
circular (Fig. 58.6, right). It is thought that this change in disc shape was an attempt
to strengthen the most fragile part of the mirror, the area where disc joins handle
(called the “extension” by mirror specialists). Many mirrors broke at this weak point
and required repairs, usually with rivets or patches of various sorts. The Praenestine
mirrors, because their shape gives them a wider extension, are perhaps more durable in
this regard. However, the area is still relatively weak and broken examples exist.^30 In
any case, the piriform shape is one of the distinctive hallmarks of mirrors produced in
ancient Praeneste. This city was not Etruscan. The inhabitants spoke an archaic dialect
of Latin and their mirrors are often inscribed in this Latin. But, despite these differences,
Praeneste was heavily infl uenced by Etruscan culture and, at least for most archaeologists
concerned with its material culture, it is virtually an Etruscan city.
ICONOGRAPHICAL CONSIDERATIONSFrom the earliest beginnings of modern interest in Etruscan mirrors the aspect that has
captivated attention is their iconography. What do the scenes on these mirrors depict and
what do they tell us about Etruscan culture? This interest often determined the value
of a mirror in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and – at least in most circles – it
remains important today. A mirror with an elaborate depiction of an Etruscan myth or
legend, perhaps accompanied by inscriptions, is certainly more interesting than a blank
mirror or one minimally decorated with vegetal ornament. This is why so many authentic
blank mirrors have been supplied with engraved designs by modern forgers.^31
Many of the subjects depicted on Etruscan mirrors are recognizable because the
characters portrayed carry specifi c attributes and/or are inscribed with their names. For
example, fi gures of Herakles (Etruscan Hercle) often wear the lion-skin cloak and carry a
club. Hercle is one of the most frequently depicted fi gures on Etruscan and Praenestine
mirrors and, therefore, we can assume – even without other evidence – that he was a
signifi cant character in their mythology and religion.^32
Perhaps more critical today are the many depictions on Etruscan mirrors that help us
to understand Etruscan divinities, spirits, heroes or legendary characters. Most of these are