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Source Description
The inscription on this mirror states it was one of a pair made of metals from the south, and placed in a jade box, perhaps alluding to a wedding gift. The meaning of its design is not entirely known, but may refer to the Daoist immortal Hou Jin, who played the <em>qin </em>(stringed instrument), understood the language of birds, and could make predictions based on the reflections on water. The motifs of the phoenix, the pond, and the qin may all refer to the quest for immortality.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
159182
label
Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
159182
contentType
object
title
Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix
description
The inscription on this mirror states it was one of a pair made of metals from the south, and placed in a jade box, perhaps alluding to a wedding gift. The meaning of its design is not entirely known, but may refer to the Daoist immortal Hou Jin, who played the <em>qin </em>(stringed instrument), understood the language of birds, and could make predictions based on the reflections on water. The motifs of the phoenix, the pond, and the qin may all refer to the quest for immortality.
date
late 700s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60740160
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 21.6 cm (8 1/2 in.); Overall: 1.2 cm (1/2 in.); Rim: 0.6 cm (1/4 in.)
cul
China, Tang dynasty (618-907)
accession
1995.369
Source extras
tec
bronze
tombstone
Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix (真子飛霜葵花鏡), late 700s. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Bronze; diameter: 21.6 cm (8 1/2 in.); overall: 1.2 cm (1/2 in.); rim: 0.6 cm (1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee, 1995.369
titleInOriginalLanguage
真子飛霜葵花鏡
collection
China - Tang Dynasty
inscriptions
inscription
鳳凰雙鏡南金裝。陰陽各為配，日月恒相會。白玉芙蓉匣，翠羽瓊瑤帶。同心人，心相親，照心照膽保千春。
inscription_translation
A mirror with paired phoenixes is cast from metals from the South.
The yin and yang are made to match;
The sun and moon meet with constancy.
A white jade box with peony decor
Is mated with a lustrous tassel of
kingfisher feathers.
Those of the same heart beat are drawn close.
Whatever the mirror will reveal: be they hearts
or gall;
It will surely protect you for a thousand springs.
sortorder
1
didYouKnow
The imagery of this mirror includes a tiny turtle knob accompanied by a musician and phoenix.
citations
citation
Chou, Ju-hsi. <em>Circles of reflection: the Carter collection of Chinese bronze mirrors</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 70, pp. 76–77, 109, 123
citation
Wang, Eugene Y. "Mirror, Moon, and Memory in Eighth-Century China: From Dragon Pond to Lunar Palace." <em>Cleveland Studies in the History of Art </em>9 (2005): 42–67.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 56, fig. 12
citation
Griswold, William, Xiaofei Tian, Richard Von Glahn, Feng Zhao, S. J. Vainker, Masaaki Itakura, Jiang Wu, et al. <em>China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta</em>. Edited by Clarissa Von Spee. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 107, no. 15
creditline
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:14:53.548000
sourceId
159182
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Tang Dynasty
med
bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f3c3ccc921f9a2ca