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Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com . Creator Nationality: Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese Creator Dates/Places: China Creator Active Place: China Creator Name-CRT: China, Early Tang Dynasty Title: Mirror (Jing) Title Type: Primary View: Full View Creation Start Date: 700 Creation End Date: 750 Creation Date: c. 700-750 Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects Classification Term: Metalwork Materials and Techniques: bronze with lacquer inlaid with silver and gold sheets Dimensions: Diameter: 19.2cm AMICA Contributor: The Cleveland Museum of Art Owner Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA ID Number: 1973.74 Credit Line: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund Rights: http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html Context: Metal mirrors with a smooth reflective surface and a decorated back were first fabricated in China during the Bronze Age. Decoration, customarily cast along with the mirror itself, is often arranged in concentric rings around the raised central knob that served as the handle. In the early eighth century, this long tradition of casting bronze mirrors was enriched by new kinds of decoration inspired by the luxury goods imported from Persia and western Asia over the fabled Silk Road. At that time, Chinese artisans began to use silver and gold to enrich their decorative designs. Perhaps the most impressive use of these precious materials occurs on mirrors inlaid with designs cut from extremely thin metal sheets. These delicate patterns were set in lacquer that had been spread across the bronze mirror back. When dry, the surface was smoothed and polished, and the inlays minutely detailed with a small chisel. This mirror, a rare surviving example of a fragile type, is the best preserved and finest example outside the Far East. Primary motifs, the phoenix and large floral sprays, are executed in chased silver sheets, while smaller blossoming flowers are portrayed in gold. The central medallion surrounding the knob is a rich combination of the two colored metals. Originally, this delicate object might have been kept in a similarly inlaid lacquer cosmetic box lined with padded silk for use by a lady of the court. K.W. AMICA ID: CMA_.1973.74 AMICA Library Year: 1998 Media Metadata Rights: Copyright, The Cleveland Museum of Art AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder. Home
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