Miniature Mirror
Unknown Artist
11th–mid-16th century
Medium
Silver (hammered), gilt
Dimensions
H x W: 4 1/8 x 2in. (10.5 x 5.1cm)
Classification
Metal-Ornaments
Culture
Peru; north or central coast (?)
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Cummings, 1964
Accession Number
64.228.674
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Miniature Mirror**, crafted from hammered silver and adorned with gilding, hails from Peru's north or central coast dating between the 11th and mid-16th centuries. Measuring just 4 1/8 x 2 inches (10.5 x 5.1 cm), its petite scale suggests it was a personal ornament, possibly worn or carried for daily or ritual use in pre-Columbian Andean. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa,, and the Americas, entered the collection as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Cummings in 1964. The mirror exemplifies the remarkable metalworking prowess of ancient...