ISTOCK
Imagine getting ready without a mirror. No checking your hair, no fixing your collar, no silly faces at your reflection. But for most of history, people had no shiny glass to look into. The mirror, like many everyday things, has a story full of odd twists.
Long ago, people stared into still water to see themselves—ponds, lakes, or bowls filled with dark liquid. It sort of worked, but the image was wobbly and faint. So ancient civilisations like the Egyptians and Chinese began polishing metal—usually bronze or copper—until it shone just enough to reflect a blurry face. These early mirrors were heavy, expensive, and far from clear.
Glass mirrors came much later. In the Roman Empire, people tried backing glass with lead or tin, but the results were often cloudy or dark. The real breakthrough came in 16th-century Venice, where craftsmen discovered how to coat glass with a layer of mercury. These Venetian mirrors were beautifully clear—but also dangerous to make, because mercury is toxic.
In the 1800s, a German chemist named Justus von Liebig found a safer way: he used silver to coat the back of glass. That changed everything. Suddenly, mirrors were clearer, safer to make, and affordable enough for ordinary homes.
Today’s mirrors are made with aluminium or silver coatings in super-clean factories. They’re everywhere—from bathrooms and cars to telescopes and satellites.
What began as ripples on a pond is now a tool for science, art, and even magic.
It comes from the Latin word mirari, which means to wonder or admire.
People in ancient Egypt and China used polished bronze, copper, or obsidian (a volcanic rock) to see their reflection.
In the 1500s, mirror-making methods were so valuable that Venetian craftsmen were banned from leaving the city!