When Jaden Smith tweeted, “how can mirrors be real if our eyes aren’t real?” he had no idea of the rift he would create in the space time continuum that could never be repaired. The level of profundity exuded from those words brought life-altering thoughts into the mind of every man, causing them to never see mirrors in the same way ever again. No, but seriously, mirrors to this day are some of the trippiest objects to exist, and it’s no wonder so many allusions, myths and superstitions center around them. Smith was probably on something when he wrote that, too.

Natural mirrors have existed since prehistoric times, such as the surface of water. However, people have also been manufacturing mirrors out of stone, metal and glass for thousands of years. Mirrors work by bouncing light off its surface to show an image of whatever is in front of it, at the same time reversing the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light strikes it. In many modern mirrors, metals like silver or aluminum are utilized for their high reflectivity, applied as a thin coating atop smooth glass. 

Mirrors are utilized in a vast number of stories told throughout time. Take the Evil Queen in “Snow White,” who beckons her magic mirror on the wall to tell her she’s the fairest of them all. You’ve also got the Enchanted Mirror from “Beauty and the Beast,” which grants users the ability to see anything he or she wishes to see. In Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Grey,” the hedonistic protagonist uses a mirror to compare his youthful complexion to his deteriorating portrait. Similarly, Natalie Portman’s character in “Black Swan” views distortions of reality fueled by paranoia, ultimately ending in shattered glass.

Something about a mirror’s puzzling mystique makes them constantly alluring—a perfect object that represents vulnerability, fragility and truthfulness that can not be shied away from. As a tattoo, mirrors make just as captivating motifs. Their reflective surfaces can be portrayed in an interesting way on the skin, and heavy symbolism can be showcased through a mirror tattoo. Each one of these following mirror tattoos exude elegance and grandeur, all while being satisfyingly simplistic. Have a look for yourself, and try not to get too lost in your reflection.

 

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