Bronze box mirror, Greek, Late Classical, 2nd quarter of the 4th century BCE; diameter 20cm. Rogers Fund, 1907 (07.255). © 2000–2024 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In relief, head of woman

The box mirror came into use toward the end of the fifth century B.C. The protective cover can be lifted by the ring below the relief to reveal the mirror, a cast-bronze disk with a highly polished surface. The relief on the cover was hammered separately and applied.

'Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, until July 7, 2024