Vittorio Mascelli

The paper deals with a particular floral and lozenge-shaped motif, present on Etruscan bronze mirrors of the Hellenistic Period, mostly decorated with the figures of the Dioscuri. The floral pattern with a flame on top is placed on the extension of the bronze mirror, below the reflecting side, probably with a semantic value. The combination of a plant and a flame can be found in ancient written sources, as related to a lighting technique (still performed today), which uses plants for wicks and fat or oil as fuel. The presence of an artificial lighting source engraved down the reflecting side of a mirror, could be associated with Etruscan religion generally and with the worship of the Dioscuri in particular.

The paper deals with a particular floral and lozenge-shaped motif, present on Etruscan bronze mirrors of the Hellenistic Period, mostly decorated with the figures of the Dioscuri. The floral pattern with a flame on top is placed on the extension of the bronze mirror, below the reflecting side, probably with a semantic value. The combination of a plant and a flame can be found in ancient written sources, as related to a lighting technique (still performed today), which uses plants for wicks and fat or oil as fuel. The presence of an artificial lighting source engraved down the reflecting side of a mirror, could be associated with Etruscan religion generally and with the worship of the Dioscuri in particular.

The paper deals with a particular floral and lozenge-shaped motif, present on Etruscan bronze mirrors of the Hellenistic Period, mostly decorated with the figures of the Dioscuri. The floral pattern with a flame on top is placed on the extension of the bronze mirror, below the reflecting side, probably with a semantic value. The combination of a plant and a flame can be found in ancient written sources, as related to a lighting technique (still performed today), which uses plants for wicks and fat or oil as fuel. The presence of an artificial lighting source engraved down the reflecting side of a mirror, could be associated with Etruscan religion generally and with the worship of the Dioscuri in particular.

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