Physical Details
- Type
- jewelry
- Material
- bronze, freshwater pearl, obsidian inlay
- Era
- 2300 BCE
- Condition
- Good condition
- Dimensions
- 22cm H × 15.5cm W × 1.2cm D
- Weight
- 580g
- Catalog #
- APO-2026-00002
rareAPO-2026-00002
Pearl-Inlaid Bronze Mirror of Lady Kethaya
This mirror is the finest example of the cultural fusion between Vorrashi pearl-working tradition and Kethari bronze metallurgy. The pearls come from the Ashenmere beds, the obsidian from Mount Serath — two worlds united in a single object.
Inscription
Keth-ari-an kin-esh meren Kethaya-an gol-un thal-na
/keθ.aɾi.an kin.eʃ meɾen keθ.aja.an gol.un θal.na/
Translation
“The exalted vision of the Kethari — the smith crafts [this] for Kethaya.”
Interlinear Analysis(click to expand)
| Form | Gloss | POS |
|---|---|---|
| Keth-ari | Kethari.people | noun |
| -an | GEN | suffix |
| kin-esh | vision-RESULT | noun |
| meren | great/exalted | adjective |
| Kethaya | Kethaya[personal.name] | noun |
| -an | GEN | suffix |
| gol-un | copper-AGENT | noun |
| thal-na | craft-PRES | verb |
Script: top-to-bottom, right-to-left
Description
A polished bronze mirror with a handle decorated in freshwater pearls set in obsidian bezels. The reverse features an incised scene of a woman performing a smoke-reading ceremony. An inscription in early Kethari script around the rim has been partially translated as "Lady Kethaya, daughter of the Third Flame, who sees what the smoke reveals."
Scholarly Analysis(click to expand)
The mirror demonstrates Vorrashi cultural persistence within Kethari society — freshwater pearls set in traditional spiral patterns alongside Kethari flame motifs. The inscription names Lady Kethaya, possibly a temple priestess of hybrid Vorrashi-Kethari lineage. The bronze composition (10% tin) dates it to the Kethari golden age. XRF analysis of the pearls confirms Ashenmere Delta origin.
Provenance(click to expand)
- discoverer
- Dr. Emeka Okonjo
- discovery date
- 2020-03-22
- condition notes
- Minor patina on bronze surface. Two pearls missing from handle. Otherwise excellent preservation.
- excavation team
- University of the Ashenmere Delta
- discovery location
- Elite burial complex, Ashenmere Delta, Site 7