In Case 3, you’ll see the handle of a bronze mirror, shaped like a full-body female figure wearing a peplos—the typical garment of Athenian women. The arms are missing, and there is a hole at the top of the head where the mirror was once attached. It was found in the agora of ancient Aiani and dates to around 450 BC. This is a rare find; only three mirrors of this type have been discovered in northern Greece.

These female figures on mirror handles are usually identified as the goddess Aphrodite, since the mirror has long symbolized female beauty and self-care. The figure’s broken right hand may have once held a dove or a piece of fruit. This is a work from a local workshop, though it shows influences from metalworking techniques of southern Greece.