Mirror with Twin Dragons and Lotus Blossoms

雙龍荷花鏡

1338

China, Shanxi province, Hezhong, Yuan dynasty

(1271-1368)

Medium

bronze

Measurements

Diameter: 23.4 cm (9 3/16 in.); Overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); Rim: 0.8 cm (5/16 in.)
Weight: 1.676 kg (3.69 lbs.)

Credit Line

Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee 1995.388

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Location

239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork

Did You Know?

This intricate mirror was donated in honor of Sherman Lee, the museum's longest tenured director.

Description

The mirror features a pair of dragons poised to seize flaming pearls. Blossoms like lotus and chrysanthemum emerge among the dragons. Surrounding the central knob of the mirror is a square enclosing the characters "至元四年 (Fourth Year of Zhiyuan, 1338)." The square also encompasses a barely legible engraving which identifies the workshop in today’s Shanxi province: "White bronze mirror cast under the supervision of retainers from the house of Ma Gouyu in the prefecture of Hezhong."