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THBChinese Han Dynasty Bronze Mirror - Phoenixes
Lot 113c
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,000 - $1,500
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| $300 | $50 |
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Aug 30, 2018
Set Reminder
2018-08-30 10:00:00
2018-08-30 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities / Asian / Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-art-3402
Featuring classical antiquities, Asian, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe, plus fine art. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, Asian, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe, plus fine art. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (396)
- Lot Description
East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. An incredible bronze mirror with cast motifs on its decorated back and a raised, nub-like handle on the back. The handle is pierced through, allowing the mirror to be worn. The cast motifs include suns and abstract long-tailed birds - probably phoenixes. A border of zigzagging lines encircles the interior motifs. The copper alloy here contains a great deal of tin, giving the surface a silvery appearance. Size: 5" W (12.7 cm)
Bronze mirrors have a long history in China - the oldest known comes from a tomb dated to ca. 2100 to 1600 BCE. By the Han Dynasty, mirrors like this one were immensely popular, and were produced in workshops at various regional centers in order to keep up with the demand from members of the royal court, court officials, and regional government workers. Mirrors like this one were expensive, and only owned by elites in the society. The cast inscription around the body of this one dates it to ca. 200 BCE and the Western Han period; it is meant to bring good fortune to the living and, when placed in a grave, to keep evil spirits away from the dead. A mirror like this one would have been used both for utilitarian purposes - starting fires and seeing one's reflection - and for spiritual - to see invisible spirits. The presence of the phoenix in the animal design may mean that this was a mirror given to a bride and later hung on the marriage bed, as the phoenix was a good omen for marriages.
Provenance: ex-Wong collection, Lotus Trading, acquired around 1974
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#137922Mottled patina on surface. Very nice preservation of motifs.Condition
- Shipping Info
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