CHINESE HAN DYNASTY DECORATED MIRROR

Ca. 206 BC - 220 AD. Han dynasty. Beautiful decorated square bronze mirror. Square shape with decorated rim enclosing the main décor field, which is decorated with geometric patterns. The Han Dynasty, which ruled between 202 - 220 AD, brought great prosperity and stability to China, reigning over a golden age of classical Chinese civilisation during which China saw major advances including the widespread development of a monetary economy and the invention of paper, as well as much progress in the decorative arts. As early as 2000 B.C., bronze technology was highly developed in China, and objects made from this alloy of copper, tin, and lead were considered luxury items, reserved for the aristocratic class. Among these coveted pieces were small bronze mirrors. Usually cast from clay molds, they were highly polished on one side, offering a reflective surface, while the other side was decorated with intricate patterns and designs that reveal an astonishing level of skill and artistry in their craftsmanship. Birds, dragons, and serpents were common motifs in the earliest mirrors. Later, more sophisticated and intricate designs included mythological figures, deities, animals of the Chinese zodiac, abstract patterns, background textures, inscriptions, enamelwork, and inlays of jade, turquoise, and mother-of-pearl. Provenance: From an old British collection of Asian Art formed in the 1990s on the UK and European art market. Size: L:170mm / W:170mm ; 780g