- This event has passed.
Reflections on Ancient Greek Mirrors
November 6, 2018 @ 4:30 pm EST
Sponsored by: Archaeological Institute of America
AIA Society: Williamsburg
Lecturer: Mireille M. Lee
Mirrors are so ubiquitous in our own culture, we tend to take them for granted. But mirrors are highly significant in many cultures: as symbols of status, beauty, and vanity; as instruments of duplicity, prophesy, and magic; as windows into the soul. Although ancient Greek mirrors have attracted the attention of scholars and collectors for over a century, their significance in Greek society remain poorly understood. This lecture explores ancient Greek mirrors from their earliest appearance in the seventh century BCE through the Hellenistic period. I argue that mirrors were complex objects that were essential for the construction of feminine identity in ancient Greece.
Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic:
Mireille M. Lee, “The Gendered Economics of Greek Bronze Mirrors: Reflections on reciprocity and feminine agency,” Arethusa 50.2 (2017): 143-168.
Boegehold Lecture
Please note: This lecture has being rescheduled from its original September 13 date due to Hurricane Florence.
support Us
The AIA is North America's largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to archaeology. The Institute advances awareness, education, fieldwork, preservation, publication, and research of archaeological sites and cultural heritage throughout the world. Your contribution makes a difference.