TWO CHINESE BRONZE CIRCULAR MIRRORS

TWO CHINESE BRONZE CIRCULAR MIRRORS

HAN DYNASTY

The larger a Twelve Earthy Branches mirror, finely cast with a 'TLV' design and with mythical beasts, the central square band cast with the twelve characters, the large central boss surrounded by smaller studs, the mirror-face with attractive malachite markings, the smaller mirror with an entwined geometric band around the suspension loop, the mirror-face with a paper label for the Cunliffe collection, 645g and 118g, 16.5cm and 11.5cm. (2)

Provenance: purchased by Bluett's from Dr Cheng Te-Kun on the 4th August 1950 for £25 and then sold to Lord Cunliffe on the 9th August 1950 for £37.10; later purchased by Adrian Joseph, and then a British private collection, purchased in 1987.

Cf. Ancient Bronze Mirrors from the Shanghai Museum, pp.164-165 for a similar example.