A recent work by L.Bouke Van der Meer aims to explore the
iconographical patterns visible on Praenestine mirrors and cistae. Contrary
to my opinion, such images seem far from a nuptial perspective and from a
meaningfully congruent horizon related to gestures and tools of the
women. A particularly important set of images representing ‘Bathing at a
Labrum’ is taken into consideration in order to show the absence of this
perspective. In my opinion images are always a symbolic way aimed to
display cultural values related to specific historical contexts. The pattern we
define as ‘Bathing at a Labrum’ is particularly appropriate in order to put
in evidence, for example, the meaning of charis, the code of the gaze, the
Dionysiac happiness as symbol and omen of the nuptial perspective. We
have to do with a coherent language of images including gestures and tools
of the mundus muliebris
