Ivory mirror handle

This beautifully carved and decorated handle must originally have been attached to a circular bronze hand-mirror belonging to a wealthy individual, which accompanied them to the grave. In common with most Cypriot ivories of the Late Bronze Age, the decoration shows a mixture of influences from east and west. The lion attacking the bull is a familiar motif in Mycenaean art, while the theme of a warrior slaying a griffin owes its inspiration to Western Asia. The scene is particularly vivid: the warrior, elaborately dressed and armed, lunges towards the griffin, which throws back its head in a despairing attitude. The outcome of the contest - the death of the griffin - is in no doubt. The theme may derive from a now unknown tale of heroism: the underlying symbolism is perhaps connected to the idea of man's defeat of the forces of chaos.