Description:
Europa with flying robes riding a bull

Label Text:
Unlike modern mirrors, which produce a clear reflection, ancient mirrors were highly polished discs of silver or bronze that produced a less distinct image. While some ancient mirrors had handles, the most common mirrors were similar to modern compacts, with the mirror held inside a decorated hinged case, like the one illustrated below.

These mirror covers were often decorated with mythological figures or romantic scenes. This cover illustrates the capture of Europa, a Phoenician princess. The bull on which she rides is Zeus, king of the gods, in disguise as he carries her across the Mediterranean Sea to the island of Crete.

Subjects:
Mythology; Bronze

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1995.24

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