Editing Etruscan language (section)

====Mirrors====
{{More|Bronze mirror}}
A ''speculum'' is a circular or oval hand-mirror used predominantly by Etruscan women. {{Lang|la|Speculum}} is Latin; the Etruscan word is {{Transliteration|ett|malena}} or {{Transliteration|ett|malstria}}. Specula were cast in bronze as one piece or with a tang into which a wooden, bone, or [[ivory]] handle fitted. The reflecting surface was created by polishing the flat side. A higher percentage of [[tin]] in the mirror improved its ability to reflect. The other side was convex and featured [[Intaglio (jewellery)|intaglio]] or [[cameo (carving)|cameo]] scenes from mythology. The piece was generally ornate.<ref>For pictures and a description refer to the ''[http://www.mysteriousetruscans.com/art/mirrors.html Etruscan Mirrors]'' article at mysteriousetruscans.com.</ref>

About 2,300 specula are known from collections all over the world. As they were popular plunderables, the provenance of only a minority is known. An estimated time window is 530–100 BC.<ref>For the dates, more pictures and descriptions, see the ''[http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/Etruscan.htm Hand Mirror with the Judgment of Paris]'' article published online by the Allen Memorial Art Museum of [[Oberlin College]].</ref> Most probably came from tombs.

Many bear inscriptions naming the persons depicted in the scenes, so they are often called picture bilinguals. In 1979, [[Massimo Pallottino]], then president of the ''Istituto di Studi Etruschi ed Italici'' initiated the Committee of the ''Corpus Speculorum Etruscanorum'', which resolved to publish all the specula and set editorial standards for doing so. Since then, the committee has grown, acquiring local committees and representatives from most institutions owning Etruscan mirror collections. Each collection is published in its own fascicle by diverse Etruscan scholars.<ref>Representative examples can be found in the U.S. Epigraphy Project site of [[Brown University]]: [http://usepigraphy.brown.edu/view.php?textID=OH.Tol.TMA.L.1980.1340] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512185430/http://usepigraphy.brown.edu/view.php?textID=OH.Tol.TMA.L.1980.1340|date=2007-05-12}}, [http://usepigraphy.brown.edu/view.php?textID=NY.NY.MMA.L.96.18.16] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904033701/http://usepigraphy.brown.edu/view.php?textID=NY.NY.MMA.L.96.18.16|date=2006-09-04}}</ref>