OBJECT FILE
Dr Dee's 'magical mirror' (British Museum 1966,1001.1)
FOLLOWThe British Museum, London, England, United Kingdom
THE OBJECT
An obsidian Aztec cult object in the shape of a hand mirror, brought to Europe in the late 1520s and later owned by Horace Walpole. It is one of several objects in the British Museum associated with John Dee's 'spiritual conferences' (museum number 1966,1001.1).
REPORTED ACTIVITY
John Dee held 'spiritual conferences' with angels through scrying stones and mirrors. This mirror was first called 'Dee's black stone' by Horace Walpole, who said so when it was brought to him; 'there is no explicit reference to the mirror in any of Dee's surviving writings' (Wikipedia, John Dee). The link to Dee is attribution, not record.
WHERE IT IS NOW
On public display — kept by The British Museum. The British Museum, London, England, United Kingdom.
PROVENANCE · 2 ENTRIES
TRACE ON THE MAP →1717 – 1797
POSSIBLE LOCATIONHorace Walpole
Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Date approximate: Walpole's lifetime (1717–1797), the only bound the sources give; when he acquired it is not recorded. Later in the Londesborough collection (per the British Museum record) before 1966.
Source: Wikipedia, John Dee ('subsequently owned by Horace Walpole … first attributed to Dee by Walpole')
1966 — CURRENT LOCATION
POSSIBLE LOCATIONThe British Museum
The British Museum, London, England, United Kingdom
Year inferred from the museum number (registered 1966), hence 'possible'. Earlier keepers — Horace Walpole (by his own account), and the Londesborough collection noted by the museum — are not dated in the sources read, so those steps are not recorded.
Source: British Museum museum number 1966,1001.1 (the record page refused a direct read on 2026-10-07); Wikipedia, John Dee ('The British Museum holds several items once allegedly owned by Dee')
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS · 0
REPORT AN EXPERIENCE →Nobody has filed an encounter with this object yet.
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