id: 143266 accession number: 1967.204 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1967.204 updated: 2023-08-24 11:35:35.503000 Mirror Support: Siren, c. 475 BC. Greece, Corinth, presumably of Corinthian or Argive origin, 5th Century BC. Bronze with silver inlays; overall: 11.5 x 9 cm (4 1/2 x 3 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1967.204 title: Mirror Support: Siren title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. 475 BC creation date earliest: -480 creation date latest: -470 current location: 102C Greek creditline: John L. Severance Fund copyright: --- culture: Greece, Corinth, presumably of Corinthian or Argive origin, 5th Century BC technique: bronze with silver inlays department: Greek and Roman Art collection: GR - Greek type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 11.5 x 9 cm (4 1/2 x 3 9/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Year in Review: 1967 opening date: 1967-11-29T05:00:00 Year in Review: 1967. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29-December 31, 1967). title: Mirrors: Art and Symbol opening date: 1984-07-03T04:00:00 Mirrors: Art and Symbol. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 3-November 18, 1984). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: This elaborate siren served a practical function, connecting a separately made handle and mirror, now lost. digital description: wall description: This is a bronze of exceptional quality. When complete, it had a cylindrical handle, probably of painted ivory. The reflecting disk was probably of silver, as are the inlays. The intact mirror was obviously an object of great luxury. Sirens (part bird and part woman) were sea-songstresses whose captivating voices drew sailors off course to their deaths. Sirens also accompanied the dead on their voyage to the underworld. The idea was probably imported from Egypt where human-headed ba birds embodied a deceased person's spirit. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. page number: Reproduced: p. 22 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1969/page/n44 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. page number: Reproduced: p. 24 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n44 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. page number: Reproduced: p. 9 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1991/page/n24 --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1967.204/1967.204_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1967.204/1967.204_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1967.204/1967.204_full.tif