Artwork Page for Mirror with Six Circular Flowers

Details / Information for Mirror with Six Circular Flowers

Mirror with Six Circular Flowers

寶相花鏡

600s

China, Tang dynasty

(618-907)
Medium
bronze
Measurements
Diameter: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.); Overall: 1.5 cm (9/16 in.); Rim: 0.9 cm (3/8 in.)
Weight: 833 g (1.84 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee 1995.341
Public Domain
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Location
239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork
Print
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Did You Know?

This mirror was made to commemorate the end of a war.

Description

Around the mirror’s central knob, there are six floral designs set within circles, separated by candelabra-like dividers. These flower designs later became known as "baoxiang hua 寶相花" or "flowers of precious appearance", which often remind people of Buddhist connections. The design also includes a ribbon of inscription, praising the mirror’s clarity and celebrating the end of a war.
A circular bronze mirror with a silvery surface features thick patches of green and reddish-brown corrosion. In the center, a raised knob is surrounded by six circular flowers. An inner band contains characters in a script, while a repeating geometric pattern rims the mirror. Detailed raised decoration remains visible beneath the surface wear, which is most prominent around the central knob and along the lower edge.

Mirror with Six Circular Flowers

600s

China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

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