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Source Description
Two of the same animals of the Four Directions seen in the "TLV" mirror are cast in high relief and twisted in confrontation: the Dragon of the East with long snout, pointed horn, and scaly backbone meets the Tiger of the West with feline head and striped neck. An amphibious creature of unknown symbolism swims between their tails. The circle between their heads duplicates the form of a copper coin, minted during the Han dynasty, that was strung through its square perforation. <br><br>The encircling inscription reads: "Mr. Wang has made this mirror; it is true and without blemish. Its decoration is engraved with skilled craftsmanship. May your longevity be like metal and stone; may you have joy without end."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95069
label
Mirror
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95069
contentType
object
title
Mirror
description
Two of the same animals of the Four Directions seen in the "TLV" mirror are cast in high relief and twisted in confrontation: the Dragon of the East with long snout, pointed horn, and scaly backbone meets the Tiger of the West with feline head and striped neck. An amphibious creature of unknown symbolism swims between their tails. The circle between their heads duplicates the form of a copper coin, minted during the Han dynasty, that was strung through its square perforation. <br><br>The encircling inscription reads: "Mr. Wang has made this mirror; it is true and without blemish. Its decoration is engraved with skilled craftsmanship. May your longevity be like metal and stone; may you have joy without end."
date
25–220 CE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79476057
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 13.1 cm (5 3/16 in.)
cul
China, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE)
accession
1915.606
Source extras
tec
bronze
tombstone
Mirror, 25–220 CE. China, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE). Bronze; diameter: 13.1 cm (5 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1915.606
collection
China - Han Dynasty
inscriptions
inscription
Mr. Wang has made this mirror; it is true and without blemish. Its decoration is engraved with skilled craftsmanship. May your longevity be like metal and stone; may you have joy without end.
sortorder
1
creditline
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:04:35.953000
sourceId
95069
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Han Dynasty
med
bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
2535328b1e113987