Girls versus boys
This is a great scene on a great medieval object. You are looking at the remains of an ivory mirror case, made in fourteenth-century Paris. It depicts a very lively scene: the allegorical Castle of Love, under attack by knights and defended by ladies. It’s a delightful mix of “boys against girls” and “come here, go away”. All individuals want the same thing, but the ladies are playing hard to get. Some knights did make it inside and are about to kiss and frolic. A lady at the right-hand top is impatiently waiting to be courted. You can just imagine the giggles the Parisian lady had while powdering her nose. Perhaps she used the mirror to peek at her secret lover. Perhaps he was standing nearby, building up courage to climb the ladder and give her a kiss.
Pic: mirror case, c. 1350 (Paris, Louvre).