392 (16)

365

Cased Mirrors

The mirrors in the first two categories above, which were mass-produced for a popular market, seem from the available indications of datę to have been introduced in the middle of the 13th century. In the present smali sample (11 items) all the cases attributable to the period before the middle of the 14th century are of lead-tin, while the robust copper-alloy ones were apparently current in the late 14th century - a time when those of lead-tin adopted a stereotyped religious motif for their decoration. The cast copper-alloy mirrors probably derive from a series of fine, (?)late 13th-century enamelled examples pro-duced for an upper-class clientele in France (eg Swarzenski and Netzer 1986, 21 and 102-03 no.

33). Dating for the two sheet-metal examples is less certain. The high ąuality of no. 1718, an individually worked version in precious metal, contrasts markedly with almost all the other objects described in this volume.

One thousand mirrors were among the goods brought by ship, probably from the Low Coun-tries, to London in 1384 (Bayley et al. 1984, 401-02). No details are given which would allow these imports to be identified with any of the types of mirrors discussed here. The craftsmen in London who called themselves ‘mirrorers’ could have manufactured at least some of the items described above during the 14th century (Yeale 1969, 141 & 143).