How have mirrors been used throughout history?
People have used mirrors both as household objects and as objects of decoration throughout history. The earliest made mirrors were hand mirrors; mirrors large enough to reflect the whole body appeared in the 1st century AD. Celts adopted hand mirrors from the Romans and by the end of the Middle Ages had become quite common throughout Europe.
Why were mirrors so expensive in the Middle Ages?
Since mirrored glass is difficult to make, it was expensive. Also, the whole "glass" thing means it was hard to transport over very long distances or over mountains. Peasants are poor. I mean, one or two sets of clothing was the norm. They would not have either a full-length mirror nor a hand mirror.
Did the Romans make glass mirrors?
After the discovery of glass making, the Romans produced glass mirrors by finishing them with a metal layer. Pieces of glass covered with lead were also found in Roman graves dating from the second and third century. Glass mirrors were quite common in Egypt, Gaul, Germany and Asia.
What is the history of the Renaissance mirror?
Some time during the early Renaissance, a superior method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected in Europe. In the 16th century, Venice, a city very famous for its glass-making expertise, became a center of mirror manufacturing. The mirrors manufactured in Venice were famed for their high quality.
What was the purpose of mirrors in the Middle Ages?
Where were mirrors invented?
Where were mirrors made?
Who invented the silvering process?
When was the first mirror?
Reflective surfaces made of polished obsidian are the oldest "mirrors" in the archaeological record, dating back as far as 4000 BCE. The first evidence of mirrors as grooming tools dates to the 5th century BCE, in illustrations of elegant Greeks gazing at hand mirrors (these illustrations are found on antique pottery).
Did they have mirrors in the 1300s?
Glass mirrors came back only in the 13th century. This time they were bent slightly outward. The method of attaching the tin to the flat surface of the glass wasn't invented yet.
Did peasants have mirrors?
In the middle ages, glass was expensive and probably not within the reach of a peasant's budget, especially not for something as trivial as a mirror, so glass-and-metal mirrors would not have been accessible. However, any polished metal can be used as a crude mirror.
Were there mirrors in the 14th century?
By the fourteenth century CE, convex mirrors of relatively clear glass and significant in scale began to be made in a variety of European locations. Like the centrally placed mirror in Jan Van Eyck's Wedding Portrait (1434), the convex mirror cast the viewer in an encompassing but distorted view of reality.
When did looking glass become mirror?
The word mirror (First Known Use: 13th century) predates the phrase looking glass by several hundred years(First Known Use of looking glass 1562). Just different words for the same thing.
Did they have mirrors in Bible times?
Mirrors of the Biblical era were highly polished volcanic stones called obsidian. Some found in Turkey date back to 6000 BCE. Later, as people gained greater insight into metallurgy, highly polished metals were used, first brass, then silver and gold.
What was hygiene like in the Middle Ages?
Soap was sometimes used and hair was washed using an alkaline solution such as the one obtained from mixing lime and salt. Teeth were cleaned using twigs (especially hazel) and small pieces of wool cloth.
How did people in the Middle Ages clean their hair?
Hair was cleaned with water, sometimes mixed with ash and herbs to make it shiny and sweet-smelling. Daily combing was also important, and was sometimes combined with the sprinkling of special powders (made from fragrant ingredients such as rose petals).
How clean were the Middle Ages?
The Middle Ages was a period of filth and squalor and people rarely washed and would have stunk and had rotten teeth. In fact, Medieval people at all levels of society washed daily, enjoyed baths and valued cleanliness and hygiene.
What were mirrors made of in Middle Ages?
Bronze Age to Early Middle Ages By the Bronze Age most cultures were using mirrors made from polished discs of bronze, copper, silver, or other metals. The people of Kerma in Nubia were skilled in the manufacturing of mirrors. Remains of their bronze kilns have been found within the temple of Kerma.
Did ancient Rome have mirrors?
Mirrors in Ancient Rome were mostly hand mirrors made from polished metal, or mercury behind glass. Spending too much time in front of a mirror was thought to denote that a woman was weak in character.
What did they use before mirrors?
In an excerpt for Lapham's Quarterly, Mortimer tells the story this way: Before glass mirrors, the best you could do was copper or bronze, but those mirrors reflected only 20 percent of light and were super expensive.
What did they use for mirrors in medieval times?
Previous to technological advancements in the high Middle Ages, copper alloy mirror cases were not common, whereas bronze, bone and ivory mirror cases were used frequently. The change in technology made copper alloy mirror cases less costly and thus more accessible to middle class citizens.
When were mirrors first used in England?
By the early 17th century the Venetian technique was being practiced throughout Europe. In England, Sir Robert Mansell created a monopoly over the production of mirrored glass beginning in 1618.
What were mirrors used for in ancient times?
Mirrors in ancient Egypt These polished bronze mirrors were used to reflect the face. They were made of molten bronze or copper. They were round, oval, square and most of the time they had a handle. If any rust developed it was easily polished new.
Did the Romans have mirrors?
Mirrors in Ancient Rome were mostly hand mirrors made from polished metal, or mercury behind glass. Spending too much time in front of a mirror was thought to denote that a woman was weak in character.
When were silvered mirrors invented?
midish 1800s was the start of silvered glass mirrors as we know today. Before that they tended to be ornate specialty items a peasant may have had if they had been descended from nobility or worked as a servant in the house for someone. As a very precious gift - Queen Victoria I know gave luxury items to servants on her Balmoral Estate we have some in local museum. They would then be passed down as a treasured item.
Who would give a cracked mirror to a peasant?
The closest you'd come to a peasant with a mirror would be someone in the family of a journeyman glassmaker. I mean, if a glassmaker messed up and cracked a mirror, he might give it to his apprentice for a discounted price, and the apprentice might gift the cracked mirror to a family member. But the odds are long, because it's easy enough to just re-heat the cracked mirror and re-shape it.
Did Ptolemy use mirrors?
Ptolemy used polished metal mirrors in his experiments. Sure peasants would be/could be as vain as their circumstances would allow. They may have at least been curious.
Did the Greeks have polished mirrors?
They said it wasn't possible, but we do know that the Greeks had polished mirror like bronze.
Do Chinese have glass mirrors?
They might not have a glass mirror - however polished metal is a possibility. Also mirrors are much older I think it was the Chinese or Eqyptians that managed the silver-mercury mirrors. Maybe I should google.
Would a peasant have a glass mirror?
Would a peasant have a glass mirror? Not without stealing it or being given it by someone very rich, and it would likely be stolen as the peasantry of the time would certainly not have had the means to protect it from theft. I suppose a polished metal mirror would have been closer to the realm of possibility, but metalwork was also expensive and it would probably have been the most expensive possession that a peasant would have. Even that would probably still have to come from someone with substantial amounts of money.
Where did the word "mirror" come from?
The word “mirror” derives from the Latin word “mirare” which means “to look at.” From Latin, it translated into the Old French word “mirour.” From that adaptation, the Middle English word became “mirror.” Early interpretations of the word included “a crystal used in magic” and “a person deserving imitation.” The word “case” comes from the Latin word “capsa.” meaning, “to hold.” Mirrors came into play in Greece in the early fifth century. Greek hand mirrors were highly decorated and were geared toward being an accessory more than being a means of examining one’s reflection. Technological advances in glassblowing kicked in during the high middle ages in Venice, Italy, which helped make mirrors clearer and of higher quality.
What mirror cases were used for the wealthy?
Ivory, bronze and bone mirror cases in particular were suited for the wealthy, while plain metal or alloy mirror cases were more accessible to the middle class. Women were primarily the ones who owned mirror cases. Usually, they were put on display on one’s person.
Why are mirror cases important?
The decorations on mirror cases held great significance and purpose. They could, for example, be connected to the notion of love. Often times when a woman got engaged, she would give a gift to her fiancé or lover. Mirror cases were commonly something wealthy women were able to gift to their fiancés or lovers.
What are the decorative features of mirror cases?
Typically, the outer surfaces of mirror cases contained decoration, which consisted of religious symbols, depictions of acts of knightly heroism, romantic figures, and scenes of courtly love. Ivory and bone cases had such imagery carved into them, while copper alloy cases were engraved with punch marks to create decoration. The decorations on mirror cases held great significance and purpose. They could, for example, be connected to the notion of love. Often times when a woman got engaged, she would give a gift to her fiancé or lover. Mirror cases were commonly something wealthy women were able to gift to their fiancés or lovers. Another indication of the value and significance of mirror cases is how often they were included in wills and passed down from one generation to the next.
What is a mirror case?
Mirror cases consisted of a mirror encapsulated within two flat round discs. Usually, mirror cases were quite small and could fit in the palm of one’s hand. The mirror within the case was made of glass and big enough to see one’s face.
What material is used to keep a mirror?
Although the mirror has greatly degraded, there remains putty material which kept the mirror attached to the case. Previous to technological advancements in the high Middle Ages, copper alloy mirror cases were not common, whereas bronze, bone and ivory mirror cases were used frequently.
What were the technological advances in glassblowing during the Middle Ages?
Technological advances in glassblowing kicked in during the high middle ages in Venice, Italy, which helped make mirrors clearer and of higher quality. During the Middle Ages, mirrors were not seen as commonplace items. Instead, they were an indication of status.
When were mirrors invented?
It is believed that glass mirrors were invented at Sidon in the first century AD.
Where were the first mirrors made?
The first man-made mirrors were typically made of polished stone such as black volcanic glass obsidian and some examples of this kind of mirrors were found in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and have been dated to around 6000BC.
What were the Egyptians' mirrors made of?
Long before production of glass mirror, the ancient Egyptians made mirrors of metal (copper, bronze, silver, tin, etc). They flattened sheets of metal and polished them until it could be used as a mirror.
How big was the first glass mirror?
The earliest glass made mirrors were only about three inches in diameter and mirror manufactured from metal was still preferable by many people due to the fact that glass mirrors still did not have a very good reflection.
Why were mirrors so popular?
They became more popular after the invention of a technique which allowed glass manufacturers to make flat thin glass and spread hot metal onto the glass without breaking it. The first mirrors were used almost exclusively by the ruling classes.
Where were glass mirrors found?
Glass mirrors were quite common in Egypt, Gaul, Germany and Asia.
What are mirrors made of?
While glass mirrors are the most common and popular today, mirrors used to be made from a variety of material in ancient times including copper, steel, silver and gold.
How were mirrors used in the West?
Mirrors were used differently in Western cultures, from that of Eastern cultures. The mirrors in Japan, were often used to help people contemplate about their innermost selves. Mirrors were not used to merely reflect their own image, but thought of as sacred objects. They were kept for a special use, even if used to groom themselves, and never used as wall decorations. These mirrors were made of high quality and well crafted steel or bronze. These mirrors were less reflective than those used in the west. It reflected only 20%, approximately of the light that would hit it, and they were slightly colored.The mirror invention is truly an amazing development in the history of civilization.
When did glass mirrors come out?
Over time, glass came to be used in the mirrors, dating between the 1st and 3rd century A.D. These mirrors were small, probably measuring just a few inches in diameter. There were some glass mirrors from the Roman Empire that were big enough to see a person’s entire body.
Who used mirrors to write secret messages?
The secret code was first introduced by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1400’s. Scriptures were written using the reflection of the mirror. Without the mirror, someone could not read the code.
Where did the mirror originate?
The mirror has been in existence almost as long as humankind. By legend, the first mirror was formed in the ancient Himalayas when a little brook tarried to rest itself, as if to ponder and reflect upon its course.
Where did the word "mirror" come from?
The word mirror derives from the French “mirour,” from the Latin “mirari” —to admire. (The Romans themselves, however, used the word “speculum,” from “specere”—to look, or behold.) METAL MIRRORS — Mirrors were used by the ancient Egyptians as early as c.2900BC. These were made of polished bronze shaped into flat round discs—in representation ...
Why were mirrors considered sacred objects?
Throughtout medieval Japan, mirrors were considered sacred objects —used not only in rarefied imperial ritual and display but also to ward off evil spirts and, when placed in Shinto shrines, to speak with the gods. As the Roman Empire ascended, mirror-making appeared in every land where Romans settled—including England.
Why was mirror making important to Venice?
So important was mirror-making to the economy of Venice that guildsmen were sworn to uphold trade secrets upon penalty of death. In the rare instance in which a guildsman was permitted to travel outside the city, his family was held in hostage, and if the traveler failed to return home, forfeited their lives.
How did glass mirrors impact art?
SPEAKING OF ART — Glass mirror not only revolutionized how we see ourselves and how we magnify light, but also how artists see and depict the world. Mirror is cited as critical to the discovery of linear perspective —making what is flat (a painting) appear to be in relief (real life)— by Renaissance artists.
What is the mirror as object?
Still waters and mythology aside, the mirror as object is called “one of mankind’s most consistent civilizers,” bringing a sense of personal reflection and comparative identity. ( Passing In Review, 1925, Hart Mirror Plate Company). Mirror is central to every aspect of human history—art, archaeology, medicine, psychology, philosophy, technology, ...
How big was the Greek mirror?
Most remained quite small—less than 12 inches diameter, constructed with either a stand-up handle, an eyelet for hanging, or a protective boxed metal cover for easily carrying on one’s person ...
When were mirrors invented?
Mirrors in History. When humans started making simple mirrors around 600 B.C., they used polished obsidian as a reflective surface. Eventually, they started to produce more sophisticated mirrors made of copper, bronze, silver, gold and even lead.
Why did Archimedes use mirrors?
By using the mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a single point, Archimedes' heat beam supposedly harnessed enough solar power to set the invading ships on fire and sink them. Debate continues over whether or not this was actually possible at the time, but Archimedes gets some points for style nonetheless.
How are mirrors made?
The modern mirror is made by silvering, or spraying a thin layer of silver or aluminum onto the back of a sheet of glass. Justus Von Leibig invented the process in 1835, but most mirrors are made today by heating aluminum in a vacuum, which then bonds to the cooler glass [source: Britannica ].
When was the first mirror telescope invented?
As early as the 1660s, mathematicians noted that mirrors could potentially be used in telescopes instead of lenses; James Bradley used this knowledge to build the first reflecting telescope in 1721 [source: Panek ]. Despite the importance of this discovery, the fact remained that both were cost-prohibitive.
Why did Filippo Brunelleschi use mirrors?
For example, architect Filippo Brunelleschi created linear perspective with a mirror to give the illusion of depth of field. In addition, mirrors helped jump-start a new form of art: the self-portrait.
What were the first mirrors in the 12th century?
Starting with the 12th century, no respectful lady left her house without a small mirror. Handheld mirrors and pears mirrors became must-have items for every woman. Ladies wore gold embellished mirrors on a chain around their neck or waist, inserted mirrors into the fens. Mirrors were treated just like precious jewelry and were encased in specially crafted exotic materials like a turtle shell or elephant bone frames. Some of the mirror’s frames were made from gold or silver with elegant miniature engravings.
What were ancient mirrors made of?
Most ancient mirrors were made from metal and had a round shape. The backside of the ancient mirrors was beautifully embellished with ornamentation. Mirrors were made from highly polished bronze and silver. The first glass mirrors were invented in I Century by Romans.
What did the Venetian masters do to make the mirrors look more beautiful?
They created a special reflective mixture in which gold and bronze were added. Because of this “magical” mixture, all objects reflecting in the mirrors looked much more beautiful than in reality. The cost of one Venetian mirror then was comparable to the cost of the large naval ship.
How did the French make mirrors?
While mirror making techniques used by Venetian masters was based on glassblowing, French masters started manufacturing mirrors using casting techniques based on pouring glass into the cast molds. The glass was poured directly from the dome into the perfectly smooth surface of the cast mold, and then, as the glass was cooling, it was rolled with the special rollers achieving a perfect consistency and smoothness of the material. Immediately after this invention, in Versailles, the construction of the Mirrors Gallery began. The Mirrors Gallery was 220 feet (73 meters) long and embellished with 306 huge mirrors.
Why did glass mirrors disappear?
In Medieval period glass mirrors completely disappeared, because during those times religious confessions stated that the devil is looking and watching the world from the opposite side of glass mirrors. Poor fashionable ladies had to use polished metal mirrors or special water bowls instead of glass mirrors.
Why did nobles in France have mirrors?
Trying to catch up with kings, nobles in France had to have extravagant mirrors at any cost. There is a knowing fact that some of them had to sell one of their residents to purchase a single beautiful mirror. Mirrors were extremely costly. For example, one mirror cost more than Rafael’s painting of the same size.
How did mirrors save lives?
The opportunity to discreetly spy on one’s enemy by using a system of interactive mirrors saved a lot of lives during wars. During the famous Thirty Year war, mirrors were used by all sides to blind the enemy during military actions with a bright reflection of sunlight.
What is a mirror?
A mirror is a wave reflector. Light consists of waves, and when light waves reflect off the flat surface of a mirror, those waves retain the same degree of curvature and vergence, in an equal yet opposite direction, as the original waves.
What does it mean when you look at a mirror?
When looking at a mirror, one will see a mirror image or reflected image of objects in the environment, formed by light emitted or scattered by them and reflected by the mirror towards one's eyes. This effect gives the illusion that those objects are behind the mirror, or (sometimes) in front of it.
What is a mirror reflecting a vase?
A mirror reflecting a vase. A first surface mirror coated with aluminum and enhanced with dielectric coatings. The angle of the incident light (represented by both the light in the mirror and the shadow behind it) matches the exact angle of reflection (the reflected light shining on the table).
What is mirror in photography?
A mirror is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves ...
How does a dielectric mirror stack work?
A dielectric mirror-stack works on the principle of thin-film interference. Each layer has a different refractive index, allowing each interface to produce a small amount of reflection. When the thickness of the layers is proportional to the chosen wavelength, the multiple reflections constructively interfere. Stacks may consist of a few to hundreds of individual coats.
How does a mirror reverse an image?
A mirror reverses an image in the direction of the normal angle of incidence. When the surface is at a 90°, horizontal angle from the object, the image appears inverted 180° along the vertical (right and left remain on the correct sides, but the image appears upside down), because the normal angle of incidence points down vertically toward the water.
How does a mirror reflect light?
A mirror reflects light waves to the observer, preserving the wave's curvature and divergence, to form an image when focused through the lens of the eye. The angle of the impinging wave, as it traverses the mirror's surface, matches the angle of the reflected wave.
When were mirrors first used?
The first evidence of mirrors as grooming tools dates to the 5th century BCE, in illustrations of elegant Greeks gazing at hand mirrors (these illustrations are found on antique pottery). These mirrors, made from a polished metal disk attached to a handle, did not contain any glass. The first real glass mirrors in the record are from the 3rd century AD, consisting of extremely small (a few square inches) concave or convex metal surfaces with glass coatings. The size and style of these early mirrors leads many archaelogists to believe that they were used as jewelry or amulets rather than for personal grooming (Melchoir-Bonnet 12).
What is the popularization of mirrors?
The popularization of the mirror is therefore, in part, a direct result of class-based hierarchies of social imagery. The following section of this project will discuss the concept of social psychology and its implications for the creation of image hierarchies, namely the ways that images are a source of power and identity formation in social exchanges.
Why did the bourgeois use mirrors?
One interesting explanation, at least in France, was that the spread of the mirror in that region was contingent on Louis XIV's 1689 decree that all private silver be confiscated to melt into coins to pay for military campaigns. As the rich had to let go of their fine jewelry and interior decorations made of the precious metal, mirrors became a replacement. Furniture, wall hangings, and other decorations became venues for mirrors as upper classes sought new ways to differentiate their homes and living spaces (Melchoir-Bonnet 71). Part of the allure of mirrors was that they provided additional lighting, as well as a perceived extension of space, both of which corresponded to a general artistic focus on light and optics during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. The domestic mirror thus became popularized by the bourgeois classes, which cultivated the trend toward common domestic usage as the technology became more affordable.
Why are mirrors important?
Part of the allure of mirrors was that they provided additional lighting, as well as a perceived extension of space, both of which corresponded to a general artistic focus on light and optics during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe.
Where did glassblowing originate?
Different metal alloys and glassblowing techniques were common throughout different periods, but in the 13th - 15th centuries a surge of technical development yielded a clearly superior process, rooted in Venice, Italy.
Is the rise of mirrors commonplace?
The Rise of the Mirror as Commonplace. The idea of personal mirrors as tools for self-monitoring presupposes that a great deal of people have access to them. At least in the developed world, this is an empirical truth because mirrors are visibly commonplace. But how did this come to be?
What was the purpose of mirrors in the Middle Ages?
In Greco-Roman culture and throughout European Middle Ages mirrors were simply slightly convex disks of metal, either bronze, tin, or silver, that reflected light off their highly polished surfaces. Some time during the early Renaissance, a superior method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected in Europe.
Where were mirrors invented?
Metal-coated glass mirrors are said to have been produced for the first time in Sidon (modern-day Lebanon) in the first century AD. The technique for creating crude mirrors by coating blown glass with molten lead was discovered by the Romans.
Where were mirrors made?
The mirrors manufactured in Venice were famed for their high quality. The Saint-Gobain factory, established by royal initiative in France, was an important mirror producer. By the middle of the 17th century, mirror was extensively made in London and Paris.
Who invented the silvering process?
The invention of the chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. His silvering process involved the deposition of a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nature. This process inaugurated the modern techniques of mirror manufacturing and led to the greater availability of affordable mirror. Nowadays, mirrors are often produced by sputtering a thin layer of molten aluminum or silver onto the back of a plate of glass in a vacuum.
