Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

盤龍鏡

700s
Diameter: 10.2 cm (4 in.); Overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); Rim: 0.8 cm (5/16 in.)
Weight: 329 g (11.61 oz.)
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Did You Know?

The patina of this mirror is known as heiqigu (literally, “black lacquer antique”).

Description

Cast in high-tin and low-lead bronze by the lost wax method, this mirror has a dark and lustrous patina known as heiqigu (literally, “black lacquer antique”). It bears a design of a coiling dragon among trailing clouds. With a small, elongated head connecting to an S-curve of the neck that is as sinuous as the body and tail, the dragon of the Tang period is unique.
Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

700s

China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

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