Lot 88
East Asia, China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 907 CE. A cast-bronze mirror of a broad, discoid form with nice remains of the highly polished 'mirrored' verso. The front of the mirror is cast with an amazing relief design of stylized zoomorphic creatures and Chinese characters. A rounded central knob is pierced through the middle so that a suspension cord could be fed through the opening and is surrounded by eight gilded buttons that protrude outwards within a central circle. Another interior ring is filled with intricate curvilinear motifs as is the exterior ring, and both are separated with hundreds of narrow impressions. The depicted animals represent a horse, a monkey, a tiger, a dragon, a rooster, a pair of mythological phoenixes, and a bird-headed horse, all embellished with yellow-orange gold. The entire mirror has developed layers of brown and green patina that imbue wondrous layers of color to its already distinguished presentation. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 8.75" Diameter (22.2 cm)
Bronze mirrors have a long and storied history in China, and the oldest known example comes from a tomb dated to ca. 2100 to 1600 BCE. By the Han Dynasty, cast-bronze mirrors were immensely popular items and were being produced in workshops at various regional centers in order to keep pace with the increasing demand. Mirrors like this example were particularly expensive to cast from bronze and were favored keepsakes by societal elites as well as members of the royal court, court officials, and regional government personnel.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1985.214.21.
Provenance: private Orange, California, USA collection, acquired in the 1930s
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#157364
- Condition: Light encrustations to body and minor abrasions to gilding, otherwise intact and very good. Nice remains of gilding to animals and great patina throughout.
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