#mirror icon

[roseicon]

[i0116s]

오아시스 찾은 kitty 난 네 옆 자릴 넘보지

[editsmodel]

like if u save.

[chae-hyun]

mirror selfie icon 💭

fav or reblog if you save

[bunnyfits]

[art-mirrors-art]

Opening leaf of the Romulus section in the Histoire ancienne jusqu’à César (Ancient History up to Caesar). The work was allegedly written in the 13th century for Roger IV, castellan of Lille, by one of his clerics, Wauchier de Denain. This manuscript was created in Paris in the 1460s, with illuminations attributed to the Master of Coëtivy (BnF, Français 64, f. 102v).

The illumination presents the earliest moments in the lives of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who would eventually become the legendary founders of Rome (we actually already see the city being built in the background):

The man with the crown here is Amulius, who displaced his brother, the former king Numitor, and seized the throne. He also made sure that Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia (also known as Ilia), would become a Vestal Virgin, unable to produce offspring who might one day dethrone Amulius.

Nevertheless, Ilia, somewhat miraculously (some mention the god Mars in this context), became a mother - of the twins. Who were then ordered by Amulius to be thrown into the Tiber to die (we see this moment too in this illumination.

They were saved, as we know, and you can read the rest of the story here.

For me, and for my mirror saga, it is more interesting to look at the bed where Ilia is resting after labor:

There we see an object, a kind of medallion. Such objects were believed to have apotropaic functions, warding off harm or evil, and even curative or healing powers. Thus they were especially widely used near or in the beds of the sick or recovering people, and of women before and after childbirth.

We may also call them icons, since they often included depictions of Christ, either directly or in the form of the Lamb of God, or of Mary, or other saints.

In many cases, convex mirrors - often richly decorated - were used instead, performing all these protective and healing functions.

We actually know one such mirror very well:

[ipromise-your]

 credits @perfectlyselx 

like/reblog please. 

[icons-stratford]

✩ like/reblog if use or save, credits to @stratfordicons - @letswalkthisway on twitter ✩