Lot 724. A silvery bronze petal-lobed mirror China, Tang dynasty (AD 618-907); 8 ¾ in. (22.2 cm.) wide; 2152 g. Estimate $12,000 - $18,000. Price Realized $93,750. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The mirror of linghua type finely cast with two mythical beasts and two long-tailed birds amidst flowers and clouds surrounding the central knob, all below various flowering plants and birds in flight alternating in the eight petals that form the rim, box.

Provenance: The Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, New York, acquired in Hong Kong, 1988

Notes: A circular mirror with very similar design is illustrated in Ancient Bronze Mirrors from the Shanghai Museum,Shanghai, 2005, no. 73, pp. 222-3.

Christie's. THE COLLECTION OF ROBERT HATFIELD ELLSWORTH PART IV - CHINESE WORKS OF ART: METALWORK, SCULPTURE AND EARLY CERAMICS, 20 March 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza.