The mirror carries bronze, and bronze was never just a material. It was the medium of ceremony, its weight and ring part of the rite itself.
A mirror of this kind was cast to be seen in low light, its relief doing the work that paint would do later. The bronze finish keeps the form readable across the centuries.
The Han court used bronze to make lineage visible. A mirror could carry an inscription or a pattern that named the family and the favour that elevated it.
The mirror is a document in metal. Sinocra keeps it in view with more from The Palace Museum, and the shop carries the craft forward.
Object details
| Name | Excellent mirror made in Han Dynasty (汉作佳镜) |
|---|---|
| Artefact no. | 新00005879 |
| Technique | Bronze |
| Period | Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) |
| Collection | The Palace Museum, Beijing |
| Source | Palace Museum Digital Collection (数字文物库) |
Image © The Palace Museum. View the original in the Palace Museum Digital Collection.