By the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman woodworkers had begun to employ inlays of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, two technically difficult to work materials. The mother of pearl plaques were frequently inlaid with black mastic to further emphasize their luminosity, and when paired with a darker wood, would only further enhance the bold decorative effect of the object. While this particular hand held mirror is not inlaid with tortoiseshell, the alternating pattern of mother of pearl with wood is reminiscent of earlier Ottoman woodwork, and reflects a decorative style popular within the Ottoman Empire from the sixteenth century onward.