Ughegbe (mirrors) are encased in carved wooden frames with a sliding wooden panel that would cover the glass when not in use. The wooden frame was carved by members of the Igbesanmwan, while the glass for the mirror would have been one of the goods traded to Benin by European merchants. Ughegbe were used mainly by priests and are viewed as portals to see beyond the physical world. They would be covered when not in use to prevent entities from the spiritual world entering the physical world where they do not belong.