Hadrian Mirror

This artifact originated from the heirs of a well known English collection of militaria, it was found with Roman coins, nothing else was known about it's origins. The mirror side of this palm mirror has been etched with surveyor's numbers and symbols (written in a style of the first half of the 20th c.), they are not seen with the pictures provided. These have been identified as a latitude and longitude. The coordinance is on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov. At a glance the swords and helmets seen on this artifact do not appear as ancient, much of this is because they are symbolic, but also this is due to the style of the art named Roman Grotesque. I have researched dozens of artifacts of this style, the art on this artifact is in fact very typical. Concerning the "S" sword guard on the sword wielded by the center figure (Hadrian), this style can be seen on the sword guard of a Roman parazonium (a symbolic weapon) of a well published statue. In my opinion it symbolizes the north (Septubus) and, or Scythia. The miniature art and inscriptions on this palm mirror show that it commemorates the commissioning of a sword for the Emperor Hadrian concerning the death and resurrection (as the Egyptian god Osirus) of the male courtesan Antinous, the commissioned smiths were of the Calybes tribe (or guild?). The technique used to make this may have also been used to make the sword. The mirror has a heavy plating of what appears to be silver, chromium, and mercury alloy, it may be on bronze, If so then due to other details that will soon be shown, then it can only be speculated as to where the bronze mirror originated from. What is distinct is that the metal does not tarnish. If chromium had been used then this is earliest instance of any type of chromium plating (although weapons treated with chromium were known in greater antiquity in ancient China). There is much more information with this artifact that will be posted shortly.

The Sword of Hadrian Mirror