Tang Dynasty sea beasts on the grape mirror is what animal?

In the Xuchang Museum on the third floor of the "Xuzhou Memory" exhibition hall, display a number of ancient bronze mirrors, they are well-made, beautiful shape, gorgeous decorations, rich inscriptions, known as the ancient cultural heritage in the jewels of the bronze mirrors among the sea beasts grapes mirror, is a reflection of the peak of the Tang Dynasty bronze mirror casting techniques, bringing people groundbreaking The beauty of the mirror is groundbreaking.

Ancient times, people with water to illuminate the face of the Warring States period, the two Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty is the three important development of copper mirrors

Xuchang Museum, third floor, "Xuzhou Memory" exhibition hall, opened a special copper mirror cabinet, called: "Mirror Story". There are more than ten pieces of precious bronze mirrors on display here, such as the Sui Dynasty's flower pattern mirror, the Tang Dynasty's bird around the flower branch pattern mirror, the Song Dynasty's double phoenix pattern mirror and so on. They are well-made, with gorgeous decorations and rich inscriptions, which are marvelous.

As we all know, the earliest human beings to recognize their own appearance of the body, is through the mirror reflection of the water, but the water can not be carried around to the water more inconvenience. After the invention of copper, people to copper pots of water to identify the shape of the shadow. With the emergence of alloy technology, began the use of copper and tin or silver lead and other production of copper mirror history.

Bronze mirrors as the face as a tool, generally round, the front polished, the back of the buttons can be worn.

Shanghai, Western Zhou and the Spring and Autumn period of copper mirror, there are sporadic discovery, the middle of the Warring States period of copper mirror prevalent, the number of former greatly increased, the production is also exquisite and beautiful, the mirror buttons small, the back of the geometric patterns and animal designs, no inscription.

Han Dynasty, the production of copper mirrors produced a qualitative leap, the use of mirrors more widely, copper mirror production. Its materials include gold, silver, copper, iron, etc., with copper as the most, but also gold and silver plating, backpack gold and silver, or inlaid with gold and silver wire, its inscriptions are auspicious statements, such as the family situation of rich and prosperous, suitable for the children and grandchildren, the great wealth and prosperity, great good fortune, etc.. By the Wei and Jin dynasties, the emergence of relief portrait mirror and mythical beasts mirror.

"When the window to take care of the cloud temples, to the mirror to paste flowers yellow." In the folk song "Mulan Diction" of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the female general who went to war returned home with her clothes on, sat in front of the window, and looked at the mirror to dress up. The mirror here is a copper mirror. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Gu Kaizhi's "Pictures of a Female Historian" also shows a female historian combing her makeup in a copper mirror.

Sui-Tang period, the shape of the copper mirror is richer, breaking the traditional shape of the round, adapted to the theme of the changes in the pattern, appeared in the sunflower-shaped, rhombus-shaped and other fancy mirrors. The production process is also more exquisite, a variety of patterns are available.

The end of the Ming Dynasty, glass was born, people began to use glass as a mirror. After the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, glass mirrors in the folk, copper mirrors gradually faded from the stage of history.

From the point of view of the popularity of copper mirror, casting technology, artistic style and its achievements, the Warring States, the two Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty is the three most important period of development of copper mirror.

In 1989 from Linying County to collect the sea beasts grapes mirror decorative patterns full of mystery, known as "the mirror of the mystery"

In the exhibition of ancient copper mirror, there is a very beautiful Tang Dynasty copper mirror - sea beasts grapes mirror, this ancient mirror embodiment. mirror, this mirror reflects the peak of the Tang Dynasty bronze mirror casting technology.

The Tang Dynasty bronze mirror is the third peak in the history of ancient Chinese bronze mirror. The emergence of the sea beast grape pattern mirror is a concrete practice of the high relief art of the Tang Dynasty, and the beauty it brings is unprecedented.

The sea beasts and grapes mirror in the city's collection was collected from Linying County in 1989. It is 9.5 centimeters in diameter and 1 centimeter thick on the sides. Round, tortoise-shaped buttons, high relief grape pattern as the theme of decoration, the mirror back is a raised bead pattern circle is divided into two areas, the inner area of the five chasing each other and playing sea animals and grape fruits, branches and leaves; outside the area of the grape branches and leaves, birds, butterflies, etc., the entire mirror back pattern looks gorgeous and elaborate.

What exactly is the beast of the sea? Why the ancients will be several unrelated plants and animals gathered in a mirror? What is the symbolism expressed? Sea beasts grapes mirror is the most valuable mirror of the Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, its decorative patterns full of mystery, by many experts and scholars called "more than a mirror of the mystery". According to the evidence, "sea beasts grapes mirror" name from the Qing dynasty Liang Shizheng compiled by imperial decree of the "Western Qing dynasty", another common name is "seahorse grapes mirror" from the Song dynasty Emperor Huizong, Wang embroidery compiled the "Xuanhe Bogutu".

"Hippocampus", "sea beast" is what animal so far there is no agreement, some say it is "seahorse", some say it is "mythical animal". Qing Dynasty people noticed the beast on the bronze mirror "like a horse is not a horse", like a tiger is not a tiger, so it is called "sea beasts". Copper mirror can reflect light, since ancient times people think it has the function of warding off evil spirits, the sea beasts carved on the copper mirror, people believe that its power to ward off evil spirits will multiply. As to why the combination of sea animals and grapes as the decoration of the mirror, so far there is no definite explanation. Some scholars believe that it may have originated from the worship of the god of wine in ancient Greece, and that the image they wanted to express should be the harmony and beauty of nature. Other scholars believe that the grapes have a large number of particles, and pomegranates, the same, there is the symbol of many children, through the fruit of the grapes between the long branches of the vines, is a symbol of the proliferation of children and grandchildren.

Bronze mirror from 4000 years ago in the Qijia culture and its function in addition to the shadow, or to drive away the ghosts and evil spirits of the treasure and love of the token

Bronze mirror was originally the daily use of people to look at the face of the appearance of the Qijia culture, from 4000 years ago, and later, the mirror's function has been extended to all aspects of the community, is regarded as a treasure to drive away the ghosts and evil spirits of the treasure and the love of the token. Bai Juyi has a poem: "Beauty and I say goodbye, leaving the mirror in the box." People love the bronze mirror, not only because of its light surface can shine shadow, but also because the back of the conception of the theme of the more artistic infectious, whether geometric decorations, flowers, birds, insects and fish, or beautiful myths and legends, all show the different times of the world.

Chinese classical novel "the west wing", "the list of the gods", are used to shine the mirror to ward off evil plots, because most of the copper mirror for the round, like the full moon, but also has a reunion, the meaning of success, often used to symbolize the love of the marriage of the perfect, and thus spread the "broken mirror reunion" of the ancient story. Ancient also popular to give each other copper mirror, "Tang Shu? 6? Rituals and Music" records, August 5 is the birthday of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, was designated as "Thousand Autumn Festival", also known as "Thousand Autumn Jinjian Festival", on this day, the group of ministers will be offered wine and copper mirror to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, he also gave the group of ministers bronze mirror to show the Tang Xuanzong would also give bronze mirrors to his ministers to show his divine favor. This kind of mirror gift activity was later copied by the folk, became a kind of elegant custom.

Tang dynasty sea animals and grapes mirror, both strong exotic colors, but also rich in traditional cultural meaning, is the product of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. Sea beasts grape mirror because of its exquisite decoration and luxurious casting technology, is recognized as a representative of the characteristics of ancient Chinese copper mirror, is one of the most representative of the development of Chinese copper mirror in the history of the mirror, but also countless copper mirror collectors, collectors of enthusiasts sought after objects, has a wide range of social impact and extraordinary charm.

Sea beast grape pattern mirror is mainly popular in Tang Gaozong, Wu Zetian period. The mirror body is thick and heavy, usually made of high tin and bronze casting. Mirror back decoration using high-relief casting process, modeling vivid, three-dimensional sense. Its shape is mainly round, a small number of square, diamond-shaped. The size of the mirror of the sea animals and grapes from a few centimeters in diameter to more than 30 centimeters.

It is worth mentioning that, in the Xuchang Museum's exhibition cabinet, there are two pieces of copper mirror with handle is quite striking. Chen Wenli introduced, with handle copper mirror is a product of the Song Dynasty, broke through the ancient Chinese copper mirror has always been to buttons hanging habits, become a major feature of the Song mirror. The emergence and use of a large number of handles mirror, is a reform and innovation of the mirror process, with a deep social demand support, in daily life, hand-held mirror, mirror with the people line, more convenient and casual, favored by the people.