Courtly Love Mirror Case

Typical of the production of Parisian Ivory artists during the 13th and 14th centuries, mirror cases were luxury objects that reflected the country mores of the high society of the time. They consisted of two sections holding a mirror in pewter or horn, and were kept in leather cases. They often came with other personal accessories, such as a comb, razor or pair of scissors. They usually had a profane decoration inspired by contemporary courtly writings, for example, the romances of the Round Table, the chatelaine de Vergy, and Tristan and Isolde. Paris, Louvre Museum Department of Objets d'Art, OA 7278 Diameter 9 cm RF004834