Aranmula metal mirror (Kerala)
Espejo metálico de Aranmula (Kerala)
- Date
- siglos XVI-XVIII (tradición) · confidence low
- Place
- Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
- Credited to
- Vishwakarma artisans of Aranmula
- Field
- Communication
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A first-surface mirror cast in a tin-rich bronze alloy, hand-polished to a sharp reflection without the double image of silvered glass. It is a rare living example of a metal mirror of high optical quality.
The origin is traditionally attributed to craftsmen who arrived at Aranmula centuries ago; no documents fix the date, and the exact alloy composition is a workshop secret.
What it led to
- a craft tradition protected by geographical indication (2005)
- an example of first-surface metal optics