What are the decorative features of bronze mirrors in China during the Warring States Period?

The decorative features of bronze mirrors in the Warring States Period are double-layer fancy patterns of the main pattern and the ground pattern, which seems to continue the decorative features of Shang bronzes and can be divided into various mirror patterns according to the changes of the main pattern.

Mountain mirror. This is a unique mirror pattern in the Warring States period, accounting for about 80% of the unearthed Chu mirrors. The main pattern is oblique mountain characters, with four mountain characters in the majority, and five or six mountain characters in the later period.

Double-rhombic mirror is called double-rhombic mirror because there are two kinds of rhombic bodies, and four double-rhombic bodies are connected into a square to form a complex geometric pattern, which is called square continuous pattern. The appearance of double diamond pattern is later than that of mountain pattern.

Four-leaf mirror The main pattern is four leaves. Some people call four leaves four petals, which are considered as flowers rather than leaves. Therefore, mirrors are popular in southern Chu, and lotus is a symbolic plant of Chu, so it is also considered as a manifestation of lotus (also known as hibiscus). This kind of mirror was very popular in the mid-Warring States period.

Kuifeng tattoo mirror. This kind of mirror pattern is more common in the two corners of the square button area, each decorated with a real phoenix, which makes it fly with its wings spread and its tail tilted.

Flat mirror. The main pattern is square plain with overlapping coils, which is hollow decoration. After liberation, a mirror with a plane pattern was unearthed in Lianshui, Jiangsu Province. Its shape is very special, with three movable rings attached to the edge of the mirror and no Sichuan buttons. This form was also found in Linzi, Shandong Province.

Continuous arc mirror. Even-arc pattern is a pattern connected by arcs, which is usually decorated on the edge of the mirror, or in the middle of the mirror, or connected with the button seat. Even the arc pattern is just a form, and there are other patterns to match it, such as "even the arc phoenix mirror". There are persimmon stalks around the new seat, double arcs and double phoenix patterns in the middle of the mirror, twelve arcs on the outer edge and strings on the side.

In addition, the bronze mirrors in the Warring States period also have pure ground mirrors without main flowers. The ground patterns of bronze mirrors in the Warring States period mainly include palindrome patterns and feather patterns. Feathers are shaped like feathers, with curled tips and high and low effects.