A fine gilt bronze TLV-mirror with inscription and stylized bird design, China, later Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD), 2nd century AD. Photo Nagel Auktionen

the large knob in the centre is framed by a double lined square and surrounded by a broad band with stylized birds in thread relief, TLV motifs, the small inscription band with fourteen characters, a small band with hatching and two bands with dented motifs. The crisply cast decorated mirror surface is gilt with one larger patch of iron brown and malachite corrosion and several small spots of corrosion, and the specular side is densely covered with violet, iron brown, green and malachite coloured corrosion, otherwise in very fine condition; diam.: 13,3 cm. - Estimate 7 000/9 000 €

Property from an important private collection of Chinese Art

Cf. Clarified Beauty of Bronze Mirrors, W. Wang collection, Taipei 2001, no. 58, a larger (diam.:18,2 cm) mirror with similar décor in thread line relied and only traces of the original gilding, dated to Eastern Han.

- Kyôto National Museum, Bronze mirrors with TLV pattern, 1969, no.2, a very similar mirror with same décor organization but without gilding, and other comparable mirrors, most of large size, reproduced in the same catalogue under nos. 4, 5, 12 and 27; there are further and similar mirrors in different museum and private collections.

Nagel Auktionen. 2013/05/08. http://www.auction.de/