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THBChinese Tang Dynasty Gilt Bronze Mirror w/ Phoenixes
Lot 138
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
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$3,600 - $5,400
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Sep 26, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-09-26 10:00:00
2019-09-26 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities & Asian Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-day-1-antiquities-asian-art-4437
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional, museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern, as well as Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional, museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern, as well as Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (328)
- Lot Description
East Asia, China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 907 CE, probably early in the period, ca. 7th to 8th century CE. An eight-lobed cast bronze mirror with a highly polished face. The back is finely decorated with four gilded phoenixes, known as Fenghuang in Chinese. The fenghuang is a symbol of unity and has very positive connotations; it is also associated with the royal house. Floral and grape-like motifs are between the phoenixes and in a raised band around the edge of the mirror. The back is pierced for suspension through a rounded central knob, and we know that a cord would have been threaded through the hole to make it easier to hold or carry. A mirror of this size could be easily carried inside of a sleeve for easy use throughout the day. Analysis of a similar mirror from the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian found traces of silk imprinted upon the back of the mirror, leading researchers there to conclude that these mirrors would have been stored in silk pouches when not in use. Size: 9.05" W (23 cm)
Mirrors in ancient China served both practical and spiritual purposes. Bronze mirrors were also luxury goods that would have been expensive to produce and therefore to buy. During the Tang Dynasty, we see the first private workshops beginning, allowing the rising merchant class to purchase mirrors in addition to nobles. When placed in a tomb upon the chest of the deceased, as they often were, they were meant to protect the dead from evil spirits, who were frightened of being seen in reflection. In a similarly symbolic move, women carried "marriage mirrors" on their laps during their wedding procession; these were later hung over the marriage bed to repel evil spirits.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Upper West Side, New York City, USA collection, 1980s
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.
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#149168Intact with a mottled pale green patina on much of the surface. Some of the reflective back is still visible as are the gilded details of the phoenixes.Condition
- Shipping Info
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