The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 21, 2024
Mirror with 'Shan' (Mountain) Pattern
200s BCE
(770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE)
Diameter: 18 cm (7 1/16 in.)
Edward L. Whittemore Fund 1972.34
Location: not on view
Description
Chinese mirror-casting achieved new elegance and precision with the technical development of stamped clay molds over which molten bronze was poured. A small rectangular unit of design was repeatedly stamped to create this background of curls and granulation, which resembles feather-covered textiles known from early tomb finds. The dominant pattern of slanting "T," pressed down upon the mold after the overall background stamps, corresponds to the modern Chinese character for shan (山 or mountain). Whether the pattern was symbolic or decorative during the Zhou Dynasty is unknown. The site of manufacture is probably south China, since many mirrors of this type have been excavated from tombs in that area.- ?-1972(William H. Wolff [c. 1906-1991], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)1972-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1972-present
- Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1972.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 60, no. 3, 1973, pp. 63–115. Mentioned: p. 115, no. 311 www.jstor.orgChristman, Bruce. "Three Gilded Tibetan Vessels." Gilded Metals: History, Technology and Conservation. Edited by Terry Drayman Weisser. London, England: Archetype Publications in association with the American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2000. Reproduced: fig. 10.13, p. 180
- Mirrors: Art and Symbol. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 3-November 18, 1984).Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
- {{cite web|title=Mirror with 'Shan' (Mountain) Pattern|url=false|author=|year=200s BCE|access-date=21 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.34