Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
The mythical hero Ci Fei and his victory during his travel through the Yangzi River is depicted on this eight-lobbed mirror. He raises his sword in order to attack sea monsters. On the top, a large inscription in seal script reads “Great and Resplendent is the Heaven.” The mirror is currently thought to be a Chinese work dating to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Recently published excavation reports, however, reveal that this particular type was exclusively unearthed from Korean tombs of the Goryeo period. Some Korean scholars speculate that this Chinese epic was appropriated to celebrate the Goryeo ruling house’s heroic ancestry and this type of mirror was widely distributed as a token of power among Goryeo elite class members.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
159190
label
Octafoil-shaped Mirror Featuring Ci Fei, the Dragon Slayer
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
159190
contentType
object
title
Octafoil-shaped Mirror Featuring Ci Fei, the Dragon Slayer
description
The mythical hero Ci Fei and his victory during his travel through the Yangzi River is depicted on this eight-lobbed mirror. He raises his sword in order to attack sea monsters. On the top, a large inscription in seal script reads “Great and Resplendent is the Heaven.” The mirror is currently thought to be a Chinese work dating to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Recently published excavation reports, however, reveal that this particular type was exclusively unearthed from Korean tombs of the Goryeo period. Some Korean scholars speculate that this Chinese epic was appropriated to celebrate the Goryeo ruling house’s heroic ancestry and this type of mirror was widely distributed as a token of power among Goryeo elite class members.
date
900s–1300s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60762387
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 17.2 cm (6 3/4 in.); Overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); Rim: 0.5 cm (3/16 in.)
cul
China, Jin dynasty (1115-1234) or Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918-1392)
accession
1995.376
Source extras
tec
bronze
tombstone
Octafoil-shaped Mirror Featuring Ci Fei, the Dragon Slayer (황비창천경 [惶丕昌天鏡]), 900s–1300s. China, Jin dynasty (1115-1234) or Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). Bronze; diameter: 17.2 cm (6 3/4 in.); overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); rim: 0.5 cm (3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee, 1995.376
titleInOriginalLanguage
佽非斬蛟龍葵花鏡
collection
China - Song Dynasty
inscriptions
inscription
煌丕昌天
inscription_translation
Great and resplendent is the heaven
sortorder
1
didYouKnow
The mirror is currently thought to be a Chinese work dating to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Recently published excavation reports, however, reveal that this particular type was exclusively unearthed from Korean tombs of the Goryeo period.
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
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 80, p. 85; pp. 109, 124
citation
<em>Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392</em>. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
citation
Choi, Eung-chon. “Craftsmen in Metal Arts in the Goryeo Dynasty [고려시대 金屬工藝의 匠人].” <em>Misulsahak yeongu</em> (2004): 171–192.
citation
Kim, Sung-june. "The National Flag of the Sailing Ship inscribed on the Bronze Mirror in the Goryeo Period."<em> Yeoksa wa gyeong'gye</em> (2017): 245–281.
citation
<em>Goryeo: The Glory of Korea </em>[대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
citation
McCormick, Sooa. “North of the Border: A preview of the Korean gallery's new display, coming in January." <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>vol. 58, no. 6 (November/December 2018): 16–17.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 16; Mentioned: pp. 16, 17.
creditline
Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee
sketchfabId
399da740c8e844a6b998db53aaf511b6
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:18:31.274000
sourceId
159190
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Song Dynasty
med
bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
17d63eb97a02b0de