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Supporting museums Art we've helped buy The Portesham mirror

The Portesham mirror

Unknown Artist

Art Funded
1995
Dimensions
31 x 19 cm
Art Fund grant
£18,750 (Total: £75,000)
Vendor
Robert Fraser and John Rule
Composed of cast and hammered bronze parts with engraved and chased design on the mirror back.

Probably individually composed for the owner and suggests her high social status.

Provenance

Excavated at Portesham, Dorset, October 1994.

Bronze

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Dorset County Museum

High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA
01305 262 735
Website

Opening times

1 Apr – 31 Oct
Mon – Sat, 10am ​– 5pm

19 July – 13 Sept
Sun, 11am ​– 4pm

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Mon – Sat, 10am - 4pm

Closed 25 – 27 Dec

Art we’ve helped buy at Dorset County Museum

Two Views of Witchampton
 Acquired 1987
Two neckrings from Chickerell
 Acquired 2000
Two fragments of Saxon chessmen & Hutchin's History of Dorset vols I-IV
 Acquired 1987
The Portesham mirror
 Acquired 1995
Sketch for the portrait of Thomas Hardy, OM
 Acquired 1950
Pyramidal mount
 Acquired 2005
Portrait of John Bragge
 Acquired 1983
Four Marble Busts
 Acquired 1980
Finger ring
 Acquired 2000
Festoon mantlepiece
 Acquired 1996
Coach panel
 Acquired 1977
1) Thomas Rackett the Elder; 2) Mrs Thomas Rackett; 3) Thomas Rackett the Younger
 Acquired 2008

Dorset County Museum has received nine grants from the Art Fund totalling over £100,000. Highlights include three portraits by George Romney of Thomas Rackett the Elder and his family. Rackett had been rector at Spetisbury, Dorset for 59 years. Thanks to Art Fund assistance the museum also has amongst its collection two Bronze age neckrings; the Portesham Mirror dating to 40 AD and a Baroque decorative Coach Panel by Dorset born painter James Thornhill which, it is believed, was painted for one of George I's coaches.

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Image credit

1 . The Portesham mirror

© Dorset County Museum

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