A Grand Appreciation of Ming and Qing Dynasty Bronze Mirrors, a treasure of Chinese bronze art

Mirrors are used for grooming, adjusting headwear, self-reflection, and also serve purposes such as exorcising evil spirits, praying for blessings, giving gifts, weddings, funerals, and divining auspiciousness ('mirror listening'), and they are witnesses to the rise and fall of eras. Brides are required to kneel and bow to the bronze mirror and jade, with bowing to the mirror symbolizing a prayer for peace. The Qin King's mirror also reveals the political function of bronze mirrors in distinguishing loyalty from treachery and deterring officials. During the Tang Dynasty, chariots, palaces, and temples also hung bronze mirrors, and it is recorded that the Da Ming Palace's Qingsi Hall in Chang'an City used a large number of bronze mirrors for decoration. The practice of inscribing messages on the back of mirrors began in the Han Dynasty, with cryptic phrases, prayers for ascension to immortality, and the Taoist concept of eternal life becoming common themes in mirror inscriptions. The Shangfang Ming mirror was an imperial mirror from the Han Dynasty, extremely popular during the Xin Mang and early Eastern Han periods. The inscription 'Ri You Xi' was a common auspicious phrase used in the late Western Han Dynasty's connected arc pattern bronze mirrors. Sunlight mirrors commonly have two types of inscriptions, 'Seeing the light of the sun, the world is bright' and 'Seeing the light of the sun, never forget each other'. The Zhaoming mirror was a type of Han mirror popular from the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han to before the Xin Mang. The inscriptions often read 'Inner purity and quality to illuminate brightly, radiance resembling the sun and moon, the heart soars with loyalty, yet remains discreet and does not leak.' Bronze mirrors with story themes began in the Han Dynasty, with Han Dynasty divine figure mirrors often depicting myths of Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu to pray for ascension to immortality. Holding the position of one of the Three Excellencies was the ultimate goal for those seeking glory and wealth. During the Tang, Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, bronze mirrors often depicted historical allusions to illustrate the principles of being in the world. Examples include 'The Ox of Wu Panted at the Moon', 'Bo Ya and Zi Qi', 'Xu You and Chao Fu', 'Zhenzi Flying Frost (Hou Jin Playing the Guqin)', and 'Five Sons Ascending the Exams (Dou Yujun)'.