A new study has shed light on an ancient Etruscan mirror preserved in the British Museum, revealing significant details about the customs and rituals of ancient Etruria. The mirror, dating from the 4th century B.C., shows on its reverse a poignant scene: two women embracing and kissing, a gesture that has long intrigued specialists and which, according to researcher Giulietta Guerini, represents the emotional farewell of a bride to her mother before marriage.
In her article, Guerini, from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, offers an innovative and profound interpretation of this scene, suggesting that the image is not merely mythological, but captures a crucial moment in the life of an Etruscan woman related to female rites of passage in that culture.
The mirror, identified as GR 1867,1023.1, was acquired by the British Museum in 1867 and shows two figures, Thanr and Alpnu, in an intimate embrace and sharing a kiss, while two companions, Thalana and Zipna, look on. Guerini proposes that this scene reflects a farewell full of symbolism, where the bride says goodbye to her mother before starting her new married life.
According to Guerini, despite the recent reconsideration of the extent of male use of mirrors, in the Etruscan world they seem to have been predominantly used by women. Scholars agree that mirrors, along with other toiletry items, were frequent wedding gifts from mothers to their daughters.
Guerini’s analysis also highlights the exquisite artistic quality of the mirror, with meticulous details in the faces of the figures and sophisticated ornamentation on the edge of the disk. Decorative elements such as winding ivy and palmettes add a level of depth and beauty to the piece, reflecting the technical skill of Etruscan artisans.
The study establishes the chronology of the mirror between the latter half of the 5th century B.C. and the early 4th century B.C., placing its origin in Veii, an Etruscan city known for the skill of its artisans. This chronological precision, based on paleographic analysis and stylistic comparisons, provides a detailed historical context for the interpretation of the scene.
Guerini’s research not only unravels the original meaning behind this Etruscan kiss and embrace but also underscores the relevance of gestures and objects in understanding the social and cultural values of ancient Etruria.
As for its final use, the researcher concludes, it is likely that our mirror was discovered in a tomb, as evidenced by its excellent state of preservation and the fact that mirrors with known find spots predominantly come from funerary contexts. Hence, it is intriguing to consider how this farewell image, which apparently was not originally conceived for funerals, could have been recontextualized at the time of its deposition and reinterpreted to signify a final farewell (or, conversely, a reunion in the afterlife). This speaks to the mirror’s potential to narrate life-changing moments, traversing the lives of one or more individuals.
SOURCES
Giulietta Guerini, The Etruscan Kiss and Embrace: A Mirror at the British Museum and a Lifetime in a Gesture. Etruscan and Italic Studies, 2024. doi.org/10.1515/etst-2024-0004
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