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Source Description
The silver inset of this mirror back was decorated with several hand-beaten techniques. High-relief birds, beasts, and foliage were hammered from the underside (repoussé) and finely chiseled on the front (chased). The background and border were punched with a metal stamp of tiny circles. Mirrors of this precious material, diminutive size, and starlike form number among the most refined products of Tang metalworkers. Some historians suggest that miniature mirrors were specifically designed as burial gifts for children, but Tang gold and silver cosmetic boxes of similar scale indicate that these objects were made to grace the dressing tables of elegant women.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
128304
label
Mirror with Animals and Birds
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
128304
contentType
object
title
Mirror with Animals and Birds
description
The silver inset of this mirror back was decorated with several hand-beaten techniques. High-relief birds, beasts, and foliage were hammered from the underside (repoussé) and finely chiseled on the front (chased). The background and border were punched with a metal stamp of tiny circles. Mirrors of this precious material, diminutive size, and starlike form number among the most refined products of Tang metalworkers. Some historians suggest that miniature mirrors were specifically designed as burial gifts for children, but Tang gold and silver cosmetic boxes of similar scale indicate that these objects were made to grace the dressing tables of elegant women.
date
early 700s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60763757
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 5.1 cm (2 in.)
cul
China, Tang dynasty (618-907)
accession
1951.292
Source extras
tec
bronze inset with gilded-silver relief decoration
tombstone
Mirror with Animals and Birds (鳥獸紋鏡), early 700s. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Bronze inset with gilded-silver relief decoration; diameter: 5.1 cm (2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, 1951.292
titleInOriginalLanguage
鳥獸紋鏡
collection
China - Tang Dynasty
creditline
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:37:16.636000
sourceId
128304
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Tang Dynasty
med
bronze inset with gilded-silver relief decoration
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
a4555594f7a7eed4