Lot 64A
China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. An amazing, heavy, and large bronze mirror, cast with an amazing relief design of animals and Chinese characters. A rounded knob in the center forms a handle, which is pierced through so that a cord could be attached to it. The animals around it are a wolf, a horse, a lion(?), and a dragon; they chase each other around the square motif surrounding the knob. The other side is a reflective surface, heavy polished and smoothed flat. Then there is a ring of Chinese characters. Around that ring is another ring of animals, these smaller, who appear to be the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. The zodiac dates back at least to the 5th century BCE and by the Han Dynasty had become a popular way of making predictions for individuals' future. A mirror this fine would have belonged to the upper ranks of Han Chinese society. Size: 8" W (20.3 cm)
Bronze mirrors have a long history in China - the oldest known comes from a tomb dated to ca. 2100 to 1600 BCE. By the Han Dynasty, mirrors like this one were hugely popular, and were being produced in workshops at various regional centers in order to keep up with the demand from members of the royal court, court officials, and regional government workers. Mirrors like this one were expensive, and only owned by elites in the society. The cast inscription around the body of this one dates it to ca. 200 BCE and the Western Han period; it is meant to bring good fortune to the living and, when placed in a grave, to keep evil spirits away from the dead. A mirror like this one would have been used both for utilitarian purposes - starting fires and seeing one's reflection - and for spiritual - to see invisible spirits.
Provenance: Ex-Private Ventura County, CA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#118312
- Condition: Near choice with dark patina; polished surface remains reflective in places
Accepted Forms of Payment:
Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
All payments are due at the fall of the hammer unless otherwise specified. Please be aware of this. Most likely the card on file at auction registration will be charged for purchases, buyer premium and any other applicable fees. Late payments are subject to fees and penalties at the discretion of the Auction House. Be aware that invoice delinquency WILL lead to disabling of a bidder account and making all bidding unavailable through this online service. Payments unpaid or late will result in the account being sent to a collections agency. This can affect your overall credit scores for up to 7 years. Your bidder registration has been researched before approval for bidding at auction. The card provided on file was verified for identity purposes prior to approval. Lastly, chargeback's will not be accepted for any reason or on any purchase through this online service. No exceptions.
All property is sold "AS IS", and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company may attempt to describe the merchandise in advertising, on the Internet and at the auction but makes no representations. In no event shall Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company be held responsible for having made or implied any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Bidder shall be the sole judge of value.
Bidders who bid from off site and are not present at the live auction or preview understand and acknowledge that they may not be able to inspect an item as well as if they examined it in person. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company shall endeavor to describe in detail each item and any pertinent information about it. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the description of the merchandise unless it is a material and intentional misrepresentation of the item itself. Bidder agrees that everything is sold as is and that they may not return any item they purchase. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company is providing Internet pre-auction and live bidding as a service to Bidder. Bidder acknowledges and understands that this service may or may not function correctly the day of the auction. Under no circumstances shall Bidder have any kind of claim against Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company or anyone else if the Internet service fails to work correctly before or during the live auction. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any missed bids from any source. Internet bidders who desire to make certain their bid is acknowledged should use the absentee bidding feature and leave their maximum bid 24 hours before the auction begins. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company reserves the right to withdraw or re-catalog items in this auction.
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |