How to identify the age of copper mirror ?

Taking an overview of the history of the development of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors, from four thousand years ago after the emergence of bronze mirrors in China, the various periods of bronze mirrors reflect its early period (Qijia culture and Shang Zhou bronze mirrors), popularity (Spring and Autumn and Warring States bronze mirrors), the heyday of the Han Dynasty (Han Dynasty bronze mirrors), in the decline (the three kingdoms, Jin, Wei, North and South Dynasty bronze mirrors), prosperity (Sui and Tang Dynasty bronze mirrors), and decline (the Five Dynasties, the ten kingdoms, the Song Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty bronze mirrors) and so on in several phases.

From several aspects such as its popularity, casting technology, artistic style and its achievements, the Warring States, the two Han dynasties and the Tang dynasty are the three most important periods of development.

Commercial and Zhou copper mirror:

Commercial copper mirror are round. The mirror surface is nearly flat or slightly convex, the mirror body is thin, the back of the center has an arch of the bow-shaped (or bridge-shaped) knob. Western Zhou bronze mirrors are also round, mirror surface flat or slightly convex, the mirror body is thin, mirror knob has a bow, half-ring, rectangular variety. Can be divided into three categories: plain mirror, heavy ring mirror, bird and animal pattern mirror.

This time to vegetarian mirrors mainly, to the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty appeared decorated copper mirror, to the late mirror back of the decoration changes, the emergence of animal decoration, breaking the traditional style.

Plain mirror: refers to the back of the mirror without decoration.

Heavy ring pattern mirror: the mirror is slightly convex, with a bow-shaped knob on the back, decorated with a heavy ring pattern.

Bird and Beast Mirror: the mirror is flat and straight with two parallel bow-shaped knobs on the back. A deer motif is used above the knobs, and a bird motif with spreading wings is shown below.

Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period:

The Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period was a period of maturity and great development in the history of the development of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors, and it was the transitional stage of the ancient Chinese bronze mirrors from the childishness to the maturity; and it was also an important period that the casting center of bronze mirrors began to migrate to the south from the north, and at that time, Chugu State was the most important place of production of bronze mirrors in the Warring States Period.

Bronze mirrors in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period in the three generations (Xia, Shang, Zhou) on the basis of the overall development of the rapid progress. Both the casting process of bronze mirrors, and the number of casting, are greatly more than before.

Qijia culture and the Shang and Zhou periods, copper mirror to light without decoration, the majority of those who have decoration is also mainly geometric pattern. To the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, decoration has reached 15 categories, and the emergence of a variety of special crafts and decorative arts, such as paint Zhu painted color patterns, gold and silver wrong patterns, hollow carved patterns. Initial period of simple, rough copper mirror, after the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period of creation and modification has reached a beautiful situation.

Spring and Autumn bronze mirror style, both inherited the Western Zhou bronze mirror tradition, such as still mainly plain mirror, button system is not stereotyped, or diversified forms. And at the same time, the Spring and Autumn copper mirror has many important developments.

It breaks the mirror only round format, the emergence of a square mirror; and a change in the early bronze mirror decoration only with the outline of the sun line, the composition of simple and simple techniques, casting a carving through the red and colorful patterns; from the expression of decoration, spring and autumn bronze mirror has caught up with the pace of development of the bronze, the content of the pattern is more characteristic of the times. This gives the big development of the Warring States bronze mirror laid the foundation.

Middle and late Spring and Autumn to the early Warring States. This period appeared and popular mirrors are: plain mirror (full plain mirror, single circle, double circle convex string plain mirror), pure ground pattern mirror (square is rare, the pattern have ground pattern, but no inscription), flower and leaf mirror, four mountain mirror, multi-knob mirror and so on. Most of the mirrors are round, while square mirrors also appear.

Generally the mirror body material is thin, more rim. The whole modeling rules, giving a sense of lightness and elegance. Mirror knob is mainly bow-shaped knob, but the top of the knob is decorated with 1 to 3 convex string pattern, so it is also known as "string pattern knob". The back of the mirror is plain and undecorated, except for the early period, it has disappeared. The decoration is thinly engraved, and there are many ground patterns.

In the middle of the Warring States period, there are many types of copper mirrors. Copper mirror decorations have also changed, such as the leaf mirror in the leaf mirror from simple three leaves, four leaves to eight leaves, but also appeared in the cloud and thunder pattern ground petal mirror, flower and leaf mirror.

The four mountain mirrors of the mountain character from short and thick become thin, in the mountain character with petal pattern, long leaf pattern, rope pattern, quite elaborate. Also appeared five mountain mirror, six mountain mirror. At this time, the emergence of mirrors have diamond mirror, beasts and animals mirror, coiled chi dragon mirror, even the arc mirror, gold and silver wrong mirror, painted mirror and so on.

The late Warring States period to the Qin did not appear four leaves coiled chi dragon mirror, coiled chi dragon diamond mirror, there are three layers of patterns of cloud and thunder pattern coiled chi dragon even arc pattern mirror.

Copper mirrors in the Han Dynasty:

In addition to the Han Dynasty continued to use the Warring States mirror, the most popular copper mirrors are: coiled chi dragon mirror, coiled venomous pattern mirror, Zhangcao pattern mirror, nebula mirror, Yunlei Liancheng mirror, bird and beast pattern rules mirror, heavy columns of beasts and goddesses mirror, Liancheng inscription mirror, heavy circle of the inscription mirror, four breasted beast and fowl pattern mirror, more breasted beast and fowl pattern mirror, the deformation of the four-leaf mirror, the beasts and goddesses mirror, the portrait mirror, dragon and tiger pattern mirror, the sunshine Liancheng mirror, four breasted goddesses mirror, four breasted beasts and goddesses mirror. Arc mirror, four-milk god mirror, seven-milk four-gods and beasts mirror, and so on.

The Han Dynasty is an important period in the development of China's copper mirror. The largest number of Han mirrors unearthed, the use of universal, Han mirrors not only in the number of more than the Warring States period, but also in the form of production and artistic expression of a great development. From its development trend, it can be divided into three major stages, with important changes appearing in the period of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, the period of Wang Mang at the end of Western Han Dynasty, and the middle of Eastern Han Dynasty.

The early Western Han Dynasty was a period of alternation between the Warring States Mirror and the Han Mirror. Until the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, around the time of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, some new types of mirrors became popular. These new types of mirrors on the development of later generations of bronze mirrors, play a role in the beginning and end.

The Han Dynasty bronze mirrors were characterized by rounded, thin bodies, flat edges, round knobs, and programmed decorations. With different styles in different periods, its development can be divided into three periods.

The first period refers to the early to middle and end of the Western Han Dynasty. Copper mirrors in this period used flat carving techniques, the mirror surface is flat, the pattern is flat, the edge of the mirror is simple and decorative. The early Han Dynasty inherited the decorative style of the Warring States bronze mirrors, more than the use of the base pattern and the main pattern of the combination of overlapping techniques.

The prevalent chi dragons in the Warring States period continue to popularize the mirror, the back of the mirror for the center of the circle to form a rectangle, some casting inscriptions, usually such as the long time to think of each other, do not forget each other, and often rich, music and other words. The middle of the Western Han Dynasty, that is, before and after Emperor Wu, the shape and pattern of the bronze mirror changed significantly, the ground pattern gradually disappeared,

Three-stringed pattern of bridge-shaped buttons through the beasts buttons, frogs buttons and even after the peak-shaped buttons, generally into a hemispherical round buttons, pattern strictly symmetrical in the center of the mirror's round surface, or proportional to be divided into four districts, at that time, in addition to the popularity of simplifying the chi dragons, but also popular nebulae pattern mirror and grass leaves mirror. Nebula pattern is actually evolved from the coiled chi dragon pattern, because of the many milk ding, nebula pattern mirror is also known as a hundred milk mirror.

Grass-leaf mirrors have a square button, surrounded by symmetrical grass leaves, some like flower petals, some like blades, and the outer edge is edged with sixteen inwardly oriented arcs. This type of bronze mirror occupies an important position in Han mirrors because of its long popularity.

Beginning around Emperor Xuan Di, there are see the light of the sun, the world is bright a circle of inscription of the daylight mirror and have the inner clear quality to show the bright, light like the sun and moon two circles of the word inscription of the mirror of the show the bright, between the rope pattern, even the arc pattern, for concentric heavy circle organization, all are the inscription as the main decorations.

The second period refers to the end of the Western Han Dynasty to the early Eastern Han Dynasty. This period is mainly popular rule mirror. Wang Mang cast mirror to show off its achievements, had produced a number of gorgeous and exquisite works, Han mirror to Wang Mang period is the most exquisite.

Rule mirror: because of its casting carving are very fine rules, mirror pattern has a regular TLV-shaped decorative format and named, foreign scholars also called TLV mirror. The program is quite standard, generally divided mirror back and for a number of decorative areas, from the button seat, to the center of the round button as a separate decorative unit, the shape of the button seat has a round, square, calyx-shaped several kinds.

The area immediately after the button is the inner area, which is the main part of the pattern. TL shape in the pattern, often on all sides of the inner area of the bronze mirror, symmetrically arranged in the main flower, plays a role in the interspersed. Further outwards is the outer zone, mostly decorated with bands composed of scrolling grass or bird and animal motifs as well as geometric motifs. Finally, the outer edge of the area, there are all plain, there are simple joint arc pattern, there are also decorated with rope, sawtooth pattern lace.

Between the inner and outer areas are often decorated with inscribed bands. It is divided into five areas, the layout is rigorous and upright, but mechanical dull less change, giving a person the feeling of uniformity. The rule of mirrors in the early Eastern Han Dynasty is still popular, but has undergone some changes.

This period of the bronze mirror more than the main flower in the inner area of the location of the casting of the blue dragon, white tiger, Vermilion Bird, Xuanwu the so-called four gods, and some of them are also in the side of the New York seat with the twelve zodiac inscriptions, or the left dragon and right tiger in charge of the four sides, Vermilion Bird Xuanwu Shun yin and yang of the words and phrases, so it is also known as the rules of the four gods of the mirror.

TLV is actually an ancient six-board game, Feixian, Shandong Province, has unearthed stone six-board disk, Changsha, Mawangdui tomb No. 3 has unearthed a full set of bo equipment, the game on the TLV pattern. The rule mirror in the development of the Han mirror, is the most popular for the longest time, but also the most excellent one in the Han mirror.

The third period refers to the middle to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In this period, the mirror surface was slightly convex, which made it easy to illuminate the full shape of the face and conformed to scientific principles. The knobs of the mirrors became thicker and stronger. Contrary to the first period, even the curved shape is more in the inner area.

This period of copper mirror layout is also more lively, the area is divided into simple, usually with long suitable for high officials or long suitable for the children and grandchildren, the position of the three public officials and other auspicious words as an inscription. This period also created a relief style of work, high ornamentation, the main mirror with double kui motifs, bat motifs, portrait mirror, square inscription mirror (beast mirror) and so on.

Double kui motif mirror broke the popular at the time to the new seat as the center of the inward or outward radial approach, and the use of symmetrical format, achieved a unique effect; Bat motif mirror is actually a deformation of the persimmon and expansion of the pattern of abstraction, the form of beautiful; image of the mirror is a shallow relief form of expression of figures, birds and animals, flowers and plants, and the time of the portrait stone, the style of the image of the brick tends to be consistent.

Most of these mirrors unearthed in shaoxing, zhejiang province, accounting for almost 90%; square inscription mirror, also known as the beast mirror, refers to a circle around the bronze mirror protruding semicircle and square, more than the performance of the gods and beasts of the subject.

Square-inscribed mirrors, also known as sacred animal mirrors, refer to a circle of raised semicircles and squares around the copper mirror, mostly showing the theme of gods and goddesses, birds and animals. Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province is the most important manufacturing center of bronze mirrors in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, where the casting of the heavy columns of mythical beasts and portrait mirrors marked the new development of bronze mirror decoration. The latter differs from the former in that in addition to the image of beasts and gods, there are also songs and dances, carriages and horses, historical figures and legends and other relief images.

The late Han Dynasty mythical beasts mirror also appeared a new form of pattern arrangement, that is, for a direction of the stepped arrangement, similar to the wood carving of the scattered perspective, known as the stage mirror, popular in the Jian'an period (196-220 AD), also known as Jian'an style.

Three Kingdoms, Two Jin Dynasty, and North and South Dynasties:

According to the information of copper mirrors unearthed from archaeological excavations, the following types of copper mirrors were more popular in this period:

Mirrors of gods and beasts: heavy columns of mirrors of gods and beasts, encircling mirrors of gods and beasts, and mirrors of painted text with Buddha's beasts.

Deformed four-leaf pattern mirror category: deformed four-leaf driving phoenix mirror, deformed four-leaf Buddha bird phoenix mirror, deformed four-leaf beast head mirror, double diamond pattern mirror, Rui beast mirror.

This time to the blue dragon, white tiger, Zhu Bird, Xuan Wu and the combination of beasts into the theme of decorative content. At this time the inscription due to the text is difficult to recognize. Although some inscriptions found in the mirror, but can be recognized clearly few.

Wu mirror found in the chronological inscription is the most, there are yellow dragon also bird, Jianxing, five phoenix, Taiping, water security, Ganlu, phoenix and other Sun-Wu years, the three kingdoms, the two jin, north and south dynasties appeared in the new type of mirror is not much, mainly inherited from the style of the Han mirror. At this time there are not many types of bronze mirrors, the type of concentration, innovation is very little. At this time the god and beast mirror circulated most widely.

The deformed four-leaf pattern mirror with deformed four-leaf eight phoenix mirror mostly. From the perspective of the history of the development of copper mirrors, this period is in a period of stagnation and decline.

Sui-Tang-Five Dynasties:

Tang Dynasty is the history of the development of China's bronze mirrors, and a new historical period. Sui and Tang copper mirror, compared with the previous generation and has a new development. In the copper alloy increased the composition of tin, in the texture of the copper mirror will appear silver, both beautiful and applicable.

In the shape of the mirror, in addition to continue to follow the previous generation of round, square, but also created a diamond flower type and thicker birds and animals and grapevine pattern mirror. And to reflect the people's lives and people's pursuit of ideals, auspicious, happy images applied to the mirror, such as the moon palace, immortals, landscapes and so on. And the emergence of novel themes, decorative and gorgeous, meticulous workmanship of gold and silver flat off the mirror, studded mirror.

This is a product of the high artistic level of the Sheng Tang Dynasty, fully displaying the characteristics of the Tang Dynasty copper mirror.

The development of copper mirrors in Sui and Tang dynasties has gone through three stages. During the Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty, the theme of the bronze mirror decoration to the beasts, the beasts of the mirror is more prevalent, the beasts of the mirror is an important type of the development process of the Sui and Tang Dynasty. In addition to inheriting the tradition of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors, there are new innovations. Rui beast grape mirror is the Tang mirror striking mirror class, it opened the prelude to the Tang dynasty mirror theme decoration.

Tang Gaozong to Tang Dezong period, copper mirror decoration on the emergence of new forms, new themes, new styles, so that the copper mirror into the rich and colorful era.

Tang Dezong to the late Tang and the Five Dynasties period, the main popularity of the bird mirror, Ruihua mirror, Panlong mirror.

One of the most important features of Tang Dynasty mirrors is the diversity of artistic styles or artistic techniques. Bronze mirror art also presents a strong "Tang Dynasty weather".

Song, Liao and Jin copper mirror:

Chinese copper mirror in the Tang Dynasty before, mainly round, rarely square. After the Song Dynasty in addition to inheriting the past round, square, sunflower-shaped, rhombus-shaped, sunflower-shaped, rhombus-shaped mirrors to six sunflower is the most common. Their edges are different from the Tang Dynasty, some are straighter, forming hexagonal mirrors. There are also a variety of styles such as mirrors with handles, rectangular, chicken heart-shaped, shield-shaped, bell-shaped tripod.

And appeared a lot of flowers, birds and animals, landscapes, bridges, platforms and figures of the story of the decorative themes of bronze mirrors, as well as plain mirrors, narrow side of the small buttons without ornamentation mirror, these themes have a strong sense of life. In addition, there are some gods and goddesses, character story mirror and gossip mirror.

Jin Dynasty copper mirror from the recent decades of archaeological excavations unearthed in the Jin Dynasty copper mirror, its body, decoration is also very rich. Although many are imitated Han, Tang and Song dynasties of copper mirror workmanship, but there are also some unique patterns.

Commonly found are double front mirror, historical figures story mirror, disk dragon mirror, Rui beast mirror, Rui flower mirror. Jin Dynasty bronze mirror pattern, one is imitated Han, Tang, Song Dynasty bronze mirror pattern; two is absorbed the former pattern, and create some new patterns. To the double fish mirror, character story mirror is more common, especially the double fish mirror, child climbing mirror is the most popular.

Yuan dynasty copper mirror:

Yuan dynasty copper mirror, more than six rhombus-shaped or six sunflower form, but the decoration has been gradually rough and simple. At this time there are twining peony mirror, fairy mirror, character story mirror, double dragon mirror, "Shoushan Fuhai" inscription mirror, plain mirror, to the Yuan dynasty four years dragon mirror.

The Ming dynasty has Hongwu years of dragon mirror and the Ming Xuande years of inscription mirror (inscription on the knob), and the end of the Ming dynasty uprising leader Li Zicheng three years of Dashun mirror (inscription on the knob). After the Ming Dynasty, copper mirrors were gradually replaced by glass mirrors.

After the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, copper mirror:

After the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the production of copper mirrors is even more declining, in addition to the traditional style, double-fish pattern, double-dragon pattern, character stories, such as Liu Yi Zhuanshu and so on, is the more novel style. But this time the production of copper mirror rough, more only chronological inscription and no decoration.

In this period, especially in the Ming Dynasty, imitation of Han and Tang mirrors of the wind is prevalent, most of the imitation of copper mirrors is the Han Dynasty six Bo pattern mirror and the Tang Dynasty Ruibeast grapes mirror, imitation of copper mirrors in general smaller, fuzzy decorations, has been no Han, Tang copper mirror of the past style.

Expanded Information:

< p>Imitation techniques:

Imitation of mirrors generally have three methods, that is, the use of early mirrors directly turn the mold, with a facsimile imitation of the mold and broken mirror splicing method.

The first method is simple, easier to produce. The original mirror pattern, inscription is clear, smooth lines, and directly turn the mold mirror, although the same mirror type, but often ornamentation, inscription fuzzy, lines are not smooth, appear stagnant. But some real mirrors, due to the age, the production is not refined, the inscription, decoration is also more vague. In the case of the same mirror type, decoration, inscription, but also need to pay attention to the copper mirror copper, mirror body thickness.

With the original mirror as a facsimile of the imitation mold, there are at least two cases, one is completely in accordance with the original mirror decorative motifs, inscriptions engraved on the model, casting the mirror, although the type of different, but the inscription, decorations are similar.

The second is that although the original mirror as a facsimile, but the casting of the mirror craftsmen and carving decorations and inscriptions, casting out of the mirror, some of the decorations and inscriptions do not fit the times, such as the Han mirror is clearly added to the Ming Dynasty mirror common inscriptions; some of the shape and decorations are not equal.

There is also a both broken mirror splicing method: that is, sticking copper mirrors, copper mirrors unearthed intact few, most are broken or damaged, the forger will be broken pieces of welding stick into a whole, the defects, and another patina to make up for, where the mirror surface is not smooth and green rust, are to add the place.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Copper Mirror