Ca. 100-300 ADA bronze circular mirror featuring a reverse side decorated with incised concentric rings, while the interior was polished to function as a mirror. Mirrors in the Graeco-Roman world were made of various materials - mostly copper alloy, but silver and iron examples have also been found. Mirrors were personal items, often owned by women. The earliest surviving pieces date to the Mycenaean period ca. 1200-1100 BC, with bone and ivory handles carved with animal motifs. Greek hand mirrors were made in one piece from the 7th cent. BC and became more elaborate with time. Roman mirrors from the Augustan period onwards have been found in most provinces of the empire and, like this item, they displayed applied engravings, decorative plaques on the reverse, or figurative ornament. For a comprehensive study of Roman mirrors, see Zahlhaas, G. (1975). R鰉ische Relief Spiegel. Lassleben.Size: L:3mm / W:125mm ; 250gProvenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s.