Two mirrors

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These two mirrors belong to the Han and T'ang Dynasties, when burial of mirrors in high status tombs was popular as a way of protecting the dead from evil spirits.

Both mirrors are made of cast bronze, their reflecting side being silvered. Both have central knobs, pierced so that the mirrors could be suspended, and both are elaborately decorated on their back.

Mirrors were popular valuable possessions in China from around 1000 BC until around 1000 AD, mainly as magical and ritual objects, for divination and protecting against evil; it was only during the latter centuries that they were used just for grooming.

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• Online ID: 000-190-004-202-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  A.1927.659
• Date: 206 BC - 220 AD
  618 - 906 AD
  Between 206 BC and 220 AD; Between 618 and 906 AD
  
• Material: Bronze. Inscription: [Chinese characters]
  Patinated bronze, silvered
  Mirror
  Mirror
  
• Dimensions: 4.38" D
  4.50" L
  
• What: Mirror
  Mirror
  
• Subject: Bronzes
  Bronzes
  
• Who:
• Where: China
  China, P'enshan
  
• Event:
• Description: Cast bronze mirror, with a central boss pierced for cord surrounded by figures and Chinese characters in bands, the reverse originally silvered: China, P'enshan, Han dynasty, 206 BC - 220 AD
  Mirror of silvered patinated bronze, with a central perforated boss in the form of a many-peaked mountain on the reverse: China, attributed to T'ang dynasty, 618 - 906 A
  
• References:
• Translations:
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