Mirror of Gal
A large, asymmetrical, gray-white metal mirror in a golden frame. The frame is inscribed, and several sections appear damaged or chiseled away. The frame is composed of warped, inhuman, sometimes demonic faces. Writing along the frame is in cuneiform, a language used by Babylonia in the ancient middle-east. The mirror itself is made from a speculum metal - an alloy of 2/3 copper and 1/3 tin adulterated with arsenic and able to hold a high polish. This is a particularly large piece - most ancient mirrors are far smaller.
Mary Elise St. Dennis made a rubbing of the inscription and translated it at the London Library. The first part of inscription identifies Sen-Sen <gash> Gal as the being the mirror is dedicated to. Then either "mirror" or "wrath" "of the great" <gash>. References to some god or king are chiseled out. The mirror was made in Lagash. It is a gift from King Bur-ra Bu-ri-ia-as (Burna-Buriaš II), which translates to Servant of the Lord of Thunder in the Lands. To his brother ("brother" being a loose translation) King of Egypt Ne-ne-fe-ka-<gash>. (These names are phonetic transcriptions, not proper spellings of a name.) "When the king, my brother, wishes to view his enemy, anoint the mirror with ub-ra-an. Let there be no misunderstanding between us." Ub-ra-an means the sound of the drum of heaven. This is another name for Red Sulphur, a component of the philosopher stone, for which a number of alchemical texts give recipes.
Experiences with Artifact
On March 14, 1925, Curtis Blakely dresses in the robe and skullcap found in Tewfik al-Sayed's shop, crosses the scepters (also found in Tewfik's shop) in front of his chest, then anoints mirror with Red Sulphur in an inverted ankh pattern. The mirror shows shadowy images as first, then, when Curtis concentrates on Edward Gavigan, he comes into vision. He is writing at a desk in a dimly lit room. The mirror focuses on Gavigan writing for 16 minutes, then the mirror reverts to normal, though the shadowy images at the edges occasionally flicker by.
Also on March 14, 1925, Arlie Tunt then repeats the process Curtis Blakely followed, thinking of Horatio Campbell, an arsonist who should be in jail. Horatio comes into view, sitting in his jail cell. Horatio is observed for 22 minutes before the mirror reverts to normal.
On March 20, 1925, Curtis Blakely uses the mirror to search for Edward Gavigan and finds him in a cot on a boat.
The monks at Sacra di San Michele know of an anecdote about an occultist, Collin de Plancy, who claimed to make a small fortune using the mirror to spy on the boudoirs of French ladies. It was recovered from a tomb in Egypt by Napoleon's expedition.