Han and Tang Dynasties Mirror Illustrated Catalog

Author: Liu Yongming (Editor)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-08-01
Features: From the Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms, the Western and Eastern Jin Dynasties, the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China's bronze mirror casting technology and decorative art developed into a glorious historical stage. The bronze mirrors that have survived to this day are not only precious artworks but also witnesses to the prosperity of ancient Chinese civilization. The study of bronze mirrors is closely related to archaeology, art, science and technology, as well as the social conditions and customs of specific eras. From this perspective, dated mirrors are a type of bronze mirror that deserves attention from academia and researchers. The term "dated" refers to the inscription in the mirror's text that records the year, month, and day of its casting. The earliest dated mirror discovered in China is a linked-arc inscribed band mirror from the first year of the Jushi era of the Western Han Dynasty (6 AD), suggesting that dated mirrors first appeared around the late Western Han Dynasty. Based on archaeological finds and domestic and international collections, it can be inferred that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, dated mirrors were cast and used widely, and they continued to be inherited and developed during the Wu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms and the Western and Eastern Jin Dynasties. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the casting of dated mirrors gradually decreased. The latest dated mirror in this book is a moon palace from the 10th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (722 AD). Overall, the number of dated mirrors is quite limited, and they are particularly valuable due to their great age. During the compilation of this book, extensive efforts were made to collect dated mirrors from both domestic and international collections, totaling 129 mirrors. These include: 1 mirror from the Western Han Dynasty, 4 mirrors from the Wudi era of Wang Mang, 39 mirrors from the Eastern Han Dynasty, 6 mirrors from the Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms, 55 mirrors from the Wu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms, 17 mirrors from the Western Jin Dynasty, 4 mirrors from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, 1 mirror from the Western Qi Dynasty, 1 mirror from the Southern Qi Dynasty, and 1 mirror from the Tang Dynasty.