Mirror with animals of the four directions

mid-1st–late 1st century BCE

Not on view

The iconography of the animals of the four cardinal directions did not become standardized until the end of 1st century B.C. Here, the animal of the north is an imaginary beast with a curling tail and spikes on its back rather than the standard entwined turtle and snake. This suggests that the mirror dates to the mid to late 1st century B.C. The silvery tone of many mirrors is the result of high tin content in the bronze alloy. The added sheen on the tiger and dragon suggest a further manipulation during the casting process.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

漢四神紋銅鏡
Title: Mirror with animals of the four directions
Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE), mid to late 1st BCE
Date: mid-1st–late 1st century BCE
Culture: China
Medium: Silver, bronze
Dimensions: Diam. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm)
Classification: Mirrors
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1916
Object Number: 16.158.1
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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