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Source Description
The casting of this mirror is precise. The central knob is surrounded by 16 petals to assume the appearance of a lotus blossom. In the inner circle, the three pairs of <em>bixie</em>, mythological animals, are displayed in fuller relief and sense of organic coordination than animals in earlier Sui period mirrors, which are slender in proportion and lissome in appearance. The outer circle has a poetic inscription:<br><br><em>The spirit merges with the forms that are being wrought. The lustrous metal matches the exquisite craftsmanship. Like a pearl, it emerges from the container box—<br>A virtual moon suspended in the firmament. [It enables] the lady to draw her eyebrows And apply rouge to her face. Even those elegant windows and the embroidered curtains: Can all be reflected within.</em>
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
159145
label
Mirror with Three Pairs of Bixie around a Loti-form Knob
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
159145
contentType
object
title
Mirror with Three Pairs of Bixie around a Loti-form Knob
description
The casting of this mirror is precise. The central knob is surrounded by 16 petals to assume the appearance of a lotus blossom. In the inner circle, the three pairs of <em>bixie</em>, mythological animals, are displayed in fuller relief and sense of organic coordination than animals in earlier Sui period mirrors, which are slender in proportion and lissome in appearance. The outer circle has a poetic inscription:<br><br><em>The spirit merges with the forms that are being wrought. The lustrous metal matches the exquisite craftsmanship. Like a pearl, it emerges from the container box—<br>A virtual moon suspended in the firmament. [It enables] the lady to draw her eyebrows And apply rouge to her face. Even those elegant windows and the embroidered curtains: Can all be reflected within.</em>
date
mid-600s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79978294
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 17.6 cm (6 15/16 in.); Overall: 1.5 cm (9/16 in.); Rim: 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
cul
China, Tang dynasty (618-907)
accession
1995.335
Source extras
tec
bronze
tombstone
Mirror with Three Pairs of Bixie around a Loti-form Knob (蓮座瑞獸鏡), mid-600s. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Bronze; diameter: 17.6 cm (6 15/16 in.); overall: 1.5 cm (9/16 in.); rim: 1.3 cm (1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee, 1995.335
titleInOriginalLanguage
蓮座瑞獸鏡
collection
China - Tang Dynasty
inscriptions
inscription
錬形神冶，瑩質良工。如珠出匣，似月停空。當眉寫翠，對臉傳紅。綺窗繡幌，俱含影中。
inscription_translation
The spirit merges with the forms that are
being wrought.
The lustrous metal matches the
exquisite craftsmanship.
Like a pearl, it emerges from the container box-
A virtual moon suspended in the firmament.
[It enables] the lady to draw her eyebrows
And apply rouge to her face.
Even those elegant windows and the
embroidered curtains:
Can all be reflected within.
didYouKnow
A <em>bixie </em>is a fantastical hybrid creature that was believed to ward off evil spirits.
citations
citation
Chou, Ju-hsi. <em>Circles of reflection: the Carter collection of Chinese bronze mirrors</em>. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 51, pp. 63, 107, 119
citation
Cahill, Suzanne E. "The Moon Stopping in the Void: Daoism and the LIterati Ideal in Mirrors of the Tang Dynasty." .<em>Cleveland Studies in the History of Art</em> 9 (2005): 24-41.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 33, fig. 8
creditline
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:14:32.245000
sourceId
159145
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Tang Dynasty
med
bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
42491b75ba919683