(Virtual, 3) Hand-held mirrors were made of a sheet of metal hammered down to less than a millimeter (1/32") thick. They were sometimes decorated with solid gold and inlaid with precious stones. The handles were sometimes a sculpture of a maiden holding a cat, or other object, or with her hands raised to hold the mirror; abstract and symbolic designs were also utilized. The Egyptians felt that makeup and mirrors would be needed in the afterlife, so they were placed in the tombs of the deceased. The bronze on a mirror could not be touched, or it would ruin the shiny surface with the oils from fingers. If the mirror was simply cleaned occasionally with a damp cloth, the valuable and decorative object would last a long time. Some of these mirrors have survived until today, although the brass surface has been ruined from exposure to the elements. (Ancient Empires, pars. 1-2)

Egyptian glassware was developed from the time of Thutmose IV (1397-1387 BCE). Drinking cups and kohl containers were made of glass, as were containers for scented oils used after bathing, ointments and other cosmetics, but glass mirrors were not invented until the 12th century, AD (Stern and Schlick-Nolte 1994:130 #5).

Glass melted onto metal, as cloisonne, became a favored art during Hellenistic times....

Mirrors, plates, and cups became works of art for the wealthy during the twelfth dynasty, as day-to-day objects were designed by artists for those who could afford them. (Horizon, V: 2)
These beautiful, hand-held mirrors represent all the utilitarian, daily implements with which the ordinary person decorated his or her life. Traded abroad, along with other handmade items used in everyday living (vases, rugs and furniture) they are found in the tombs of pharaohs and queens, as well as in far-away places, such as Lebanon (King Tut, 1).

References

Ancient Empires site, 2006, Retrieved September 9, 2006 at http://www.ancient-empires.com/neroegmi.html

Horizon, Vol. V (3), 1963, New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc. P. 2-69:

King Tut Shop web site, 2006, Retrieved September 10, 2006 at http://www.kingtutshop.com/freeinfo/Ancient-Egyptian-Clothes.htm

Stern, E. Marianne, and Birgit Schlick-Nolte 1994 Early Glass of the Ancient World 1600 BC - AD 50 Ernesto Wolf Collection. Gerd Hatje, Ostfildern, Germany. (130 # 5)

Virtual Egyptian Museum site, 2006, Retrieved September 11, 2006 at http://www.virtual-egyptian-museum.org/Collection/FullVisit/Collection.FullVisit-JFR.html?../Content/MET.XL.00034.html&0