Bronze mirror

Author: Zhong Mingyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This is a series of concise and practical small books specially designed for beginners in the field of collection or those interested in playing with cultural artifacts. Carry a couple of them in your pocket, and you can hunt for antiques in the antique market based on the illustrations. Of course, you can also flip through, read, and set them aside after meals, during tea breaks, by the light, or before bed. The small format, light weight, and carefully selected artifacts are designed to add no burden to your reading or use. Naturally, this series of small books is not perfect like flawless white jade. If placed on a bookshelf, it is not a shining masterpiece, and don’t expect it to add more scholarly charm to your study. However, a small desk piece, easily picked up or discarded, still retains its elegance when the sky is high and the clouds are light, or when the moon is bright and the wind is clear. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Commercial Press in Shanghai published a series titled "Myriad Libraries," edited by Mr. Wang Yunwu, composed of many small booklets. Who among the older generation of readers doesn’t know Wang Yunwu or hasn’t read "Myriad Libraries"? If "Myriad Libraries" is considered a model for popular reading publications, then in the 21st century, it is still relevant because there are always more people who read thin books than those who read thick ones. Since the 1990s, with the booming art auction industry, people’s interests seemed to shift abruptly from stocks and futures to antiques. For a time, the antique market was too hot and too chaotic, with new, old, real, and fake items all on display. Not only did young people get confused, but even seasoned antique enthusiasts found it dizzying. In this sense, to get a head start on the same starting line, they must seize the opportunity to acquire a large amount of new knowledge and information resources. As a result, catalogues of collections, auction catalogues, appraisals and appreciations, and academic monographs flooded in like falling blossoms. Those with a little money in their pockets, who want to pick up bargains or buy mid-range antique items, or who are interested in collecting rare goods, may, in the near future, see their eyesight improve significantly and enter the professional ranks. But for now, what they need are intuitive, appropriately tiered, and easily explained popular reading materials—just as mentioned earlier, they can be used for hunting, leisure, and can be flipped through or set aside by the light or before bed. The planning, writing, and publication of this "Practical Guide to Collecting Cultural Artifacts" fundamentally meet the reading needs of these readers. Every line of text in this book is a distillation of the author’s years of experience in appraisal work—a slightly "watered-down" but still substantial "condensed" work. May readers not discard this small book lightly. When you find that a good book is worth reading ten times, the grooves in your brain will begin to form images of artifacts, their features, and their values, and your collection will start to enrich. Then, it’s time to read thicker books. This book collects bronze mirrors from the Warring States period to the Qing Dynasty, with reference prices, identification points, era styles, craftsmanship, patterns, and material descriptions. How to Use This Book:
1. Artifact Names The names of artifacts listed in this book follow general conventions. If there are multiple alternative names, the more common one is used.
2. Era The dating of the main illustrations is based on the era-specific features of the artifacts. For those with possible cross-era attributes, there are generally two methods: 1. Directly labeled; 2. Placed in the next era.
3. Main Illustration The main illustration is the primary object of textual interpretation. The selection criteria for this image are primarily goods that are relatively high in demand in general first-tier antique markets, making them representative of common characteristics. Second, the artifacts have been rigorously selected to minimize doubts about their authenticity. The publishers of this book used advanced CTP technology to ensure high image clarity.
4. Auxiliary Illustrations There are two types: 1. Enlargements of specific parts of the main illustration; 2. Images of similar artifacts.
5. Identification Points The identification points listed around the main illustration are the author’s most direct appraisal experience.
6. Artifact Knowledge This section explains knowledge related to artifacts, including era styles, craftsmanship, patterns, and materials, as well as peripheral knowledge related to appreciation.
7. Price Reference The prices mentioned in this book are generally based on market circulation prices as a reference and do not represent specific transaction prices. The price reference for fakes is based on the general level of fake production and is not related to high-quality fakes or crafts.
The "Practical Guide to Collecting Cultural Artifacts" series consists of 8 volumes: "Porcelain," "Jade," "Buddhas," "Furniture," "Bronze Mirrors," "Ancient Coins," "Inkstones," and "Nasal Inhalers."