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A Ming bronze mirror "biao qian" with intact silvering browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Metalwork: Pre 1700: item # 1149597
Ruyi Studio San Francisco By Appointment San Francisco, CA 94131 415.990.3524 Guest Book $288.00 |
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| Ming dynasty (1368-1644); circa 15th century bronze mirror, the plain side retaining much of its original applied silvering, the decoration on back organized around the pierced central boss or knob, flanked on either side by a lotus pattern motif, each an inverted mirror image of the other, and a two-character inscription, above and below, the words reading “bao qian” meaning “treasure” and “mirror,” the word “qian” being an ancient word referring to bronze mirrors specifically, as well as the verbs equivalent “to view” or “to reflect.” The knob resembles a Chinese silver ingot, curving inward and broader at each end, a departure from the rounded knobs seen on most earlier examples, a style seen occasionally on Yuan period mirrors and typical of similar mirrors excavated from tomb sites datable to the 15th century. The calligraphy in kaishu (regular script) exhibits the thick strokes and bold form typical of the period. The raised outer edge is separated from a lower inner ring by a narrow concave channel, characteristic of most Ming dynasty mirrors. Diameter: 8.3cm (3.25”); Thickness of double rim: 1cm; Height of knob: 0.5 cm; Weight: 139 grams (4.9 ounces); Rim: concave; Side: slightly inclined inward; Material: dark bronze aged to grey. Condition: overall very good condition; the back (decorated) side of the mirror shows minor blue-green pitting in the concave channel and along the inner ring, wear consistent with age, minor frits to the edge, and one small chip to the outer rim and a generalized grey-green patina. The front (plain) side of the mirror is stabilized with pools of greenish-blue pitting but with much intact silvering. Note: Bronze mirrors produced during the Han and Tang dynasties were typically “white bronze” with a high tin content which was highly reflective. For reasons that are not completely understood, but probably owing to a shortage of tin, mirrors produced from the Song dynasty onwards were dark or yellow bronze and not highly reflective. These later mirrors required frequent polishing and their reflective sides were sometimes coated with silver or mercury; however, few mirrors have survived with their applied reflective coatings intact. The present example was buried with its owner and exhibits the typical malachite encrustations found on excavated mirrors, although the silvering is preserved on approximately one-half of the reflective surface area. The silvered area also shows a very desirable ghost image of cross-hatched lines likely caused by long contact with a burial fabric. Excavated mirrors are typically polished: the rust must be removed in order to reveal the exquisite designs on their decorated backs; however, the plain reflective sides of these mirrors are only partially cleaned as necessary for conservation purposes, but typically with some evidence of their age and burial left intact for both historic and aesthetic reasons. Copyright (c) 2012 by Robert McCaffrey for Ruyi Studio San Francisco. All rights reserved. | ||
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