The large hypogeum tomb with three cells and an access corridor (dromos), discovered in Canosa in 1928 (Tomb of the Gold Jewellery), fully conveys the high level of opulence achieved by the elites of Northern Apulia (Daunia), who were great patrons of the craftsmen’s workshops in Taranto. Among the copious and lavish goods included in the burial, a silver shell-shaped shrine bears the name of one of the family members, Opaka Sabaleida. In addition to a tiara and a gold sceptre, a mark of the prestige and authority of the deceased, the burial goods included other gold, silver, ceramic and glass objects.
The piece on display here, an elegant product of the Taranto goldsmiths, is of the highest quality, with embossed decorations, a chiselled finish and heat gilding. The valve containing the mirror is decorated with a representation of Aphrodite (or a Muse) sitting half-naked surrounded by Erotes.