About Looking Glasses.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 37, 11 September 1902, Page 29

About Looking Glasses.

The earliest looking glasse°, or mirrors, were of either metal, highly polished, or of black panted mica. It is noted in Jewish history that the layer was -_ad 9of brass "of the looking gla-ws of the women assembling, which assembled at tie door of the taberniole of the cmarrega-ion," and some oomtn^ntit >r* conjecture ih,»t these women gave up their broi.ze or copper hand* mirrors to supply the in iterial for the layer. Egyptian women always carried their mirrors to the temples, and the Hebrew women probably did likewise, am do the Arabian and Turkish women to-day. G'ass mirrors are of comparatively recent date. Mirrors of silver and gold were commonly used in mediaeval times. In 1 360 Venice became the seat of the manufacture of glass mirrors, which have since superseded all other varieties ; the improvements in the manufacture of plateglass enabling mirrors to be made of great size.