Lot 368. A silvery bronze mirror, Tang dynasty (618-907); 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 6,875. © Christie's Image Ltd 2008  

Finely cast on one side with a central knop surrounded by a flower head, and the animals of the four directions: the green dragon (qinglong) representing the east, the red bird (zhuqiao), the south, the white tiger (baihu), the west, and the snake-encoiled turtle (yuanwu), the north, with silver-grey patina, the reverse with some light encrustation. 

Provenance: Acquired in San Francisco c. 1996. 

Christie's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 17 September 2008, New York, Rockefeller Plaza