Circular Mirror with Decoration of Concentric Circles, Linked Arcs, and Quatrefoil
late 1st century
Description
This circular bronze mirror has a wide, flat, unembellished rim that leads into a slightly sunken decorative band of short, radiating lines and concentric circles. Within this decorative band are eight linked arcs in slight relief. The linked arcs form an eight-pointed star that surrounds a ring and quatrefoil. There is a large hemispherical knob at the center. A four-character inscription incorporated into four points of the eight-pointed star read: "Shou Ru Jin Shi" [May you have a life as long as metal and stone]. Another four-character inscription incorporated into the spaces between the quatrefoil reads: "Chang Yi Zi Sun" [May your sons and grandsons cherish this for a long time.] The reflecting side of the mirror has been cleaned, but within the patina that remains there is some evidence of textile remains.
Dimensions
Diam. 19.6 cm (7 11/16 in.)
Provenance
Edmund Lin (1928-2006; Professor, Harvard Medical School), Boston; by bequest to the Harvard Art Museum
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