Artwork Page for Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

Details / Information for Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

盤龍鏡

700s

China, Tang dynasty

(618-907)
Medium
bronze
Measurements
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.)
Credit Line
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee 1995.367
Public Domain
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Location
239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork
Print
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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.
A dark gray bronze mirror, polished to a metallic sheen, features a scaly dragon coiling around a central spherical knob. The dragon's head has a long snout and two horns, while four legs with three-toed claws reach toward the rim. Detailed scales and stylized, curling cloud forms are rendered in raised relief. The surface displays silver highlights against the dark, reflective metal, emphasizing the intricate textures of the creature.

Mirror with a Coiling Dragon

700s

China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

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