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Source Description
Chinese mirror-casting achieved new elegance and precision with the technical development of stamped clay molds over which molten bronze was poured. A small rectangular unit of design was repeatedly stamped to create this background of curls and granulation, which resembles feather-covered textiles known from early tomb finds. The dominant pattern of slanting "T," pressed down upon the mold after the overall background stamps, corresponds to the modern Chinese character for <em>shan</em> (山 or mountain). Whether the pattern was symbolic or decorative during the Zhou Dynasty is unknown. The site of manufacture is probably south China, since many mirrors of this type have been excavated from tombs in that area.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
146941
label
Mirror with 'Shan' (Mountain) Pattern
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
146941
contentType
object
title
Mirror with 'Shan' (Mountain) Pattern
description
Chinese mirror-casting achieved new elegance and precision with the technical development of stamped clay molds over which molten bronze was poured. A small rectangular unit of design was repeatedly stamped to create this background of curls and granulation, which resembles feather-covered textiles known from early tomb finds. The dominant pattern of slanting "T," pressed down upon the mold after the overall background stamps, corresponds to the modern Chinese character for <em>shan</em> (山 or mountain). Whether the pattern was symbolic or decorative during the Zhou Dynasty is unknown. The site of manufacture is probably south China, since many mirrors of this type have been excavated from tombs in that area.
date
200s BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79925740
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 18 cm (7 1/16 in.)
cul
China, probably State of Chu, possibly Hunan province, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE)
accession
1972.34
Source extras
tec
bronze
tombstone
Mirror with 'Shan' (Mountain) Pattern, 200s BCE. China, probably State of Chu, possibly Hunan province, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Bronze; diameter: 18 cm (7 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, 1972.34
collection
China - Zhou Dynasty
citations
citation
Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1972.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>, vol. 60, no. 3, 1973, pp. 63–115.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 115, no. 311
citation
Christman, Bruce. "Three Gilded Tibetan Vessels." <em>Gilded Metals: History, Technology and Conservation</em>. Edited by Terry Drayman Weisser. London, England: Archetype Publications in association with the American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2000.
page_number
Reproduced: fig. 10.13, p. 180
creditline
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:31:43.281000
sourceId
146941
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Zhou Dynasty
med
bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b4cc45546d7c89ad