The Museum will be closed on Easter Friday 29 March and Easter Sunday 31 March. We are open as usual on Saturday 30 March.

Self-Reflection: Mirrors in Sigmund Freud’s Collection

Amidst Freud’s extensive collection of antiquities are examples of ancient mirrors.

The earliest mirrors come from Egypt and surrounding countries, from as early as 2289 BC. Three of the mirrors in Freud’s collection, however,  were produced much later in ancient Italy, around 300 BC.

 

LDFRD 3326. Mirror, Bronze, Etruscan, 350-250 BC

 

By the time this mirror was produced it was common for them to be engraved on their reverses, often with mythological scenes.  Mirrors were a status symbol for Etruscan women. Many have been found in graves, suggesting that while mirrors were used in daily life, they were also believed to have served a role after death; perhaps by symbolically carrying an image of the deceased into the afterlife.

 

LDRFD 3324. Mirror, Bronze, Etruscan, 350-250 BC (detail)

 

The image of two naked women bathing at a basin on this mirror is surprising. Why would women commonly own mirrors decorated with images of naked women? Mirrors were arguably a way of enforcing cultural norms within the home, using visual iconography. In this case they reinforce the perceived duty of women in Etruscan society to be beautiful. This typical scene also reflects the use of mirrors and their link to adornment, reflection and self-image. The scene is framed by ivy leaves, often used in Etruscan design. Ivy was used to make wreaths used by rulers and represented in jewellery, with connotations of beauty and power.

 

There are four mirrors in the Freud Museum collection. Sigmund Freud sought antiquities with links to mythology. He liked small objects as these were less expensive, and perfect for gifts or swapping.

 

We have little documentation about these mirrors so can only speculate how Freud acquired them. We know that one mirror belonged to Anna Freud rather than Sigmund, and was a gift from her sister-in-law Lucie Freud – it has a label on the back with the words, ’Many Happy Returns of the Day to Anna From Lux’.

LDFRD 3082. Bronze, Etruscan, 350-250 BC Anna Freud’s mirror, a gift from sister-in-law Lucie Freud

Etruscan mirrors, like the one above, were often decorated in scenes involving the goddess of love. This was Turan in Etruscan mythology, whose Greek equivalent was Aphrodite and Roman equivalent, Venus. The verso of these mirrors was of course undecorated and highly polished to reflect the image of its owner.

LDFRD 3325. Mirror, Egyptian, copper alloy, 1550-1069 BC

This mirror above is the oldest in the collection. It is clearly different in style to the later Etruscan examples. It has no engraving and is made of a more solid sheet metal. The handle is in the shape of a papyrus stem, adopted as a pattern on architecture, painted scenes and objects. The papyrus stem hieroglyph, one of the oldest hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt, is used for the colour green and for vigour or youth, both of which are relevant to this mirror.

Comments

  • Emeritus Professor R
    December 20, 2020 | Permalink | Reply to this comment

    May I ask you for any information known about the small mirror on teh window in Sigmund Frued’s study. At present, if it is againhung on a window (I fialed to nitce on a visit some time ago), does ti catch the refletion of a a sitter at his desK? Is there an y record of when it was purchased and hung?

    • Bryony Davies
      January 7, 2021 | Permalink | Reply to this comment

      Many thanks for your comment. The mirror on the window of Freud’s study in Berggasse 19, Vienna, is unfortunately no longer in Freud’s collection. As far as I’m aware, it has never been present in the study of his London home and does not appear in any photographs after the Freud family left Berggasse 19. It is most likely that it was discarded in Vienna and not brought to London, which leads me to believe that it was not a precious part of Freud’s collection of antiquities, but rather a simple home furnishing. We don’t have any record of when this was purchased, or when Freud first hung this in his study.

Leave a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *