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Hand mirror

Title	Hand mirror
Publication Date:	1800
Publication Place	Turkey (made) -
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	Height: 35cm, Width: 21 cm
Library:	Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID	311-1901
Record ID	311-1901
Library Location	Middle East Section
Date	1800
Notes	By the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman woodworkers had begun to employ inlays of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, two technically difficult to work materials. The mother of pearl plaques were frequently inlaid with black mastic to further emphasize their luminosity, and when paired with a darker wood, would only further enhance the bold decorative effect of the object. While this particular hand held mirror is not inlaid with tortoiseshell, the alternating pattern of mother of pearl with wood is reminiscent of earlier Ottoman woodwork, and reflects a decorative style popular within the Ottoman Empire from the sixteenth century onward.
Malzemeler ve teknikler	Wood, mother of pearl, bone
Fiziksel açıklama	Wood frame decorated with a mosaic of mother of pearl, horn, bone and thin strips of wood. The ornament on the circular back consists of a star in the centre surrounded by a narrow and a wide border of lozenges radiating from the centre. The edges of the mirror and the handle are decorated with bands of triangular and lozenge-shaped pieces.

View in source Victoria and Albert Museum Victoria and Albert Museum - Ottoman library catalog search

Victoria and Albert Museum

Hand mirror

Publication Date 1800

Publication Place Turkey (made) -

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions Height: 35cm, Width: 21 cm

Library Victoria and Albert Museum

Library Asset ID 311-1901

Record ID 311-1901

Library Location Middle East Section

Date 1800

Notes By the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman woodworkers had begun to employ inlays of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, two technically difficult to work materials. The mother of pearl plaques were frequently inlaid with black mastic to further emphasize their luminosity, and when paired with a darker wood, would only further enhance the bold decorative effect of the object. While this particular hand held mirror is not inlaid with tortoiseshell, the alternating pattern of mother of pearl with wood is reminiscent of earlier Ottoman woodwork, and reflects a decorative style popular within the Ottoman Empire from the sixteenth century onward.

Malzemeler ve teknikler Wood, mother of pearl, bone

Fiziksel açıklama Wood frame decorated with a mosaic of mother of pearl, horn, bone and thin strips of wood. The ornament on the circular back consists of a star in the centre surrounded by a narrow and a wide border of lozenges radiating from the centre. The edges of the mirror and the handle are decorated with bands of triangular and lozenge-shaped pieces.