Bronze Bactrian Hand Mirror

Assumed Bactrian, 300 BC- 1000 AD. The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex is know for Bronze Age archaeology in Central Asia. Heavy patina, the handle features a figure of a person, arms either side. 

The engraving on the back is the letter Sho- a letter added to the Greek alphabet in order to write the Bactrian language, and would have likely represented a sound similar to the English 'sh'. 

The piece is also incredibly similar to a 1900 BC Bactrian hand mirror, on display at the Louvre. From a large collection of artefacts, owned by a late archaeologist. 

Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror, sometimes termed a copper mirror, has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan Italy to Japan.

In older societies they were sufficiently impressive to have religious significance in some societies. The ancient Greeks and others used mirrors for divining, and the Chinese believed they stored sunlight, and so could "guide the deceased through the underworld", making them essential grave goods.

8 3/4" length, 5 1/2" width, 1/4" depth