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Mirror with Four T's

四山鏡

300s BCE
(475–221 BCE)
bronze
Diameter: 10.4 cm (4 1/8 in.); Rim: 0.5 cm (3/16 in.)
Weight: 124.5 g (4.39 oz.)
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee 1995.281
Location: 241A Arts of Ancient China
Public Domain
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Did You Know?

The prominent T's on this mirror represent four gates in Chinese mythology that relate to transformation.

Description

The symbolic significance of the ancient Chinese mirror lies in its circular form and reflective quality that make it resemble the sun and the moon. "By the light of the sun, the world is made bright," so said a mirrorsmith. When the mirror was taken with its owner for use in the afterlife, it reflected the soul and brought eternal brightness to the next world.
Mirror with Four T's

Mirror with Four T's

300s BCE

China, Warring States period (475–221 BCE)

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