Etruscan Mirrors

Collections in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Nancy T. De Grummond

• Publisher: L'Erma di Bretschneider
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN:
  9788891326799
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

The sixth North American volume of the Corpus Speculorum Etruscorum cataloging project presents a comprehensive, systematic catalogue of thirty-two ancient Etruscan bronze mirrors, handle fragments, and associated archaeological materials preserved within major public institutions in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Drawing upon extensive physical examinations, precise technical illustrations, and non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence metallurgical analyses, the publication contextualizes objects held by the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The catalogued material spans key developmental phases of Etruscan mirror production, encompassing Classical and Hellenistic tang and solid-handle types along with distinctive Praenestine piriform variations. Through rigorous stylistic, iconographical, and epigraphic analyses, individual entries explore complex mythological narratives, ritual imagery, and workshop attributions while addressing critical questions regarding modern restorations, authenticity, and nineteenth-century forgery practices. The work provides an essential primary research tool for classical archaeologists and Etruscologists.