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Bronze mirror with human-headed animals and Kufic inscription
(مرآة برونزية بحيوانات برأس إنسان ونقش كوفي)

Title	Bronze mirror with human-headed animals and Kufic inscription
Title Original	مرآة برونزية بحيوانات برأس إنسان ونقش كوفي
Publication Date:	Sixth - seventh century AH / twelfth - thirteenth century AD
Publication Place	- Museum of Arts and Crafts (MKG)
Subject	Cast bronze
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	القطر : 10.8 سم
Library:	Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID	1929.10
Record ID	object;EPM;de;Mus21;20;ar
Library Location	Museum of Arts and Crafts (MKG)
Date	Sixth - seventh century AH / twelfth - thirteenth century AD
Notes	This round molded mirror is decorated with relief elements and has an attached handle perforated in the centre. Engraved on the back of the mirror are a pair of figures with an animal body and a human head with scorpion tails surrounded by a floral decoration. There is an inscription around the frame that says: “O Lord! I call you by your greatest name! You are the one eternal God - I have sworn by you by the truth of these names and by the angel who watches over Saturn, ... and I have sworn by the teacher whose deeds include all names and every name that you will not send me one of your angels to this mirror, my mirror, who will tell me everything I asked about for what is to come in this world and the next world. And it is through the Lord of Heaven: the one whom you sent to me due to the essence of the mighty and overwhelming spirituality that descended upon me in this mirror and revealed itself to me. He told me everything I asked him and answered me everything I asked him to do...who see only themselves in their filthy and stained state of existence and are to blame for their lies - and so they should be / May there be peace with God.” The Seljuk era saw increased production of cast bronze circular mirrors with fully decorated backgrounds and there were many identical pieces in other collections that include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London. The shapes with the body of an animal and the head of a human are the most popular icons of that period, which has been the symbol of the sun since ancient times. This particular shape is also linked to the zodiac sign, Scorpio. In combination with the inscriptions, these catenary mirrors may have functioned similarly to magic amulets as a repellent force.
Sample Text	“Bronze mirror with human-headed animals and Kufic inscription” within Discover the collections of Islamic art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;de;Mus21;20;ar

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Bronze mirror with human-headed animals and Kufic inscription

(مرآة برونزية بحيوانات برأس إنسان ونقش كوفي)

Publication Date Sixth - seventh century AH / twelfth - thirteenth century AD

Publication Place - Museum of Arts and Crafts (MKG)

Subject Cast bronze

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions القطر : 10.8 سم

Library Museum With No Frontiers

Library Asset ID 1929.10

Record ID object;EPM;de;Mus21;20;ar

Library Location Museum of Arts and Crafts (MKG)

Date Sixth - seventh century AH / twelfth - thirteenth century AD

Notes This round molded mirror is decorated with relief elements and has an attached handle perforated in the centre. Engraved on the back of the mirror are a pair of figures with an animal body and a human head with scorpion tails surrounded by a floral decoration. There is an inscription around the frame that says: “O Lord! I call you by your greatest name! You are the one eternal God - I have sworn by you by the truth of these names and by the angel who watches over Saturn, ... and I have sworn by the teacher whose deeds include all names and every name that you will not send me one of your angels to this mirror, my mirror, who will tell me everything I asked about for what is to come in this world and the next world. And it is through the Lord of Heaven: the one whom you sent to me due to the essence of the mighty and overwhelming spirituality that descended upon me in this mirror and revealed itself to me. He told me everything I asked him and answered me everything I asked him to do...who see only themselves in their filthy and stained state of existence and are to blame for their lies - and so they should be / May there be peace with God.” The Seljuk era saw increased production of cast bronze circular mirrors with fully decorated backgrounds and there were many identical pieces in other collections that include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London. The shapes with the body of an animal and the head of a human are the most popular icons of that period, which has been the symbol of the sun since ancient times. This particular shape is also linked to the zodiac sign, Scorpio. In combination with the inscriptions, these catenary mirrors may have functioned similarly to magic amulets as a repellent force.

Sample Text “Bronze mirror with human-headed animals and Kufic inscription” within Discover the collections of Islamic art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;de;Mus21;20;ar