Artwork Page for Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix

Details / Information for Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix

Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix

真子飛霜葵花鏡

late 700s

China, Tang dynasty

(618-907)
Medium
bronze
Measurements
Diameter: 21.6 cm (8 1/2 in.); Overall: 1.2 cm (1/2 in.); Rim: 0.6 cm (1/4 in.)
Weight: 1.394 kg (3.07 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee 1995.369
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The imagery of this mirror includes a tiny turtle knob accompanied by a musician and phoenix.

Description

The inscription on this mirror states it was one of a pair made of metals from the south, and placed in a jade box, perhaps alluding to a wedding gift. The meaning of its design is not entirely known, but may refer to the Daoist immortal Hou Jin, who played the qin (stringed instrument), understood the language of birds, and could make predictions based on the reflections on water. The motifs of the phoenix, the pond, and the qin may all refer to the quest for immortality.
A circular bronze mirror with a scalloped edge and a muted, reflective silver-gray surface features a central knob shaped like a tortoise perched above wavy water. To our left, a figure sits playing a stringed instrument near trees; to our right, a large bird stands with wings outspread beneath stylized mountains and clouds. A border of raised characters encircles the central scene, which is rendered in low relief.

Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix

late 700s

China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

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