Mirror with a Handle in the Form of a Herakles Knot

c. 280–400 CE
Diameter: 2.3 x 34.6 cm (7/8 x 13 5/8 in.)
Weight: 1.17 kg (2.58 lbs.)
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Description

This type of mirror was introduced throughout the Roman Empire by the 2nd century and remained popular into the 3rd and 4th centuries. Similar examples have been found in Germany and Britain. The handle is made of two thick pieces of silver wire, intertwined to form a Herakles knot--a knot so complex that only someone as strong as Herakles could break it. In antiquity, knots of various kinds were believed to provide protection from harm.
Mirror with a Handle in the Form of a Herakles Knot

Mirror with a Handle in the Form of a Herakles Knot

c. 280–400 CE

Byzantium, Syria(?), Byzantine period

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.