A very fine bronze six-lobed mirror with six flower rosettes, China, 2nd half of Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo Nagel

the well cast mirror is decorated with six flower rosettes in relief three lotus flowers alternating with three mallow flowers around the central flower motif with the knob, the decorated mirror side with a thin dark grey and some green corrosion and some patches of the original shiny, silvery surface, the completely polished specular side is blackish with the brass body metal partly visible weight: 899 g. D. 17 cm. Estimate 2200 €

Property from an important private collection of Chinese art

Cf. Izumi-shi Kinen Kubosô Bijutsu-kan, Zôkyô zuroku (Catalogue of the coll. of bronze mirrors of the Memorial Kubosô Kinen Museum), Izumi-shi 1985, p. 92, no. 82, a larger mirror (19,9 cm) with an almost identical décor (3 alternating lotus and 3 mallow or similar flowers), dated to the Tang dynasty 

Shanghai Museum (ed.), Ancient bronze mirrors from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2005, nos. 101 + 103, two a bit larger and heavy mirrors (diam. 18,1 cm) of similar shape and same décor with six flower rosettes, dated to the Tang dynasty.

Nagel. "Asian Art". 2012/11/02 http://www.auction.de/