bronze mirror

A bronze circular mirror with inscription. Late Western Han dynasty, 2nd-1st Century BC. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 Crisply cast, the central knob rising from a quatrefoil cast with characters in between, set within concentric circles of hatchured and plain bands, linear motifs between a band of eight joined arcs, and an inscription within hatchured borders, all below sawtooth bands on the rim, with satiny grey patina and some malachite encrustation; 7 7/16 in. (19 cm.) diam., ¼ in. (.5 cm.)... [Lire la suite]

A rare parcel-gilt bronze octafoil mirror. Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 Of linghua (water chestnut flower) shape and crisply cast, the knob surrounded by four animals shown in lively positions as they frolic atop a flowering scroll within the raised inner edge of the outer band cast in the eight barbed lobes with alternating insects and foliate sprays, the animals and insects highlighted by gilding in contrast to the grey patina: 6 11/16 in. (17 cm.) across, ¼ in. (.5 cm.)... [Lire la suite]

A small bronze square 'lion and grapevine' mirror. Tang dynasty  (618-907). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 Cast in high relief with four lions shown amidst grapevine surrounding the crouching lion knob, and separated by a square border from the birds, dragonflies and butterflies shown amidst further grapevine in the outer border, with dark grey patina; 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) square, 3/8 in. (.9 cm.) thick, box - 435.6g. Estimate $15,000 - $20,000 唐 海獸葡萄紋方銅鏡 Provenance: Robert H.... [Lire la suite]

An unusual bronze circular 'lion and grapevine',  mirror. Tang dynasty (618-907).  Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 The thin mirror crisply cast in high relief with a crouching lion that forms the knob in the center of six lions shown in various positions amidst scrolling grapevine including one sitting upright and facing outward with left forepaw raised and the other placed on its rear leg, with silvery grey patina; 5 7/8 in. (12.5 cm.) diam., 3/16 in. (.4 cm.) thick, box... [Lire la suite]

A very rare large  parcel-gilt bronze circular mirror. Song Dynasty or later. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 The heavy, thick mirror finely cast with five mythical beasts shown amidst grapevine while a sixth horned, crouching beast forms the knob in the center, with six further beasts and birds amidst grapevine in the outer field between narrow borders of foliate scroll, the animals and birds gilded; 11 5/16 in. (28.7 cm.) diam., 7/16 in. (1 cm.) thick, box - 4146.4g. Estimate $20,000 -... [Lire la suite]

A bronze circular mirror with two animals and inscription. Sui-Early Tang dynasty, 6th-7th century. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012  The thick mirror finely cast in high relief with five lively animals racing around the knob within a sawtooth border below the circular ridge that separates the main field from an inscription set below a sawtooth band in the deep sides of the outer rim cast on top with a narrow band of foliate scroll below the upright edge, with silvery grey patina; 4¾ in. (12.1 cm.) diam., 5/8 in. (1.5... [Lire la suite]

A gold sheet-decorated bronze mirror. Tang dynasty  (618-907). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 The back applied with a thin gold sheet pressed over the cast decoration of two pairs of mandarin ducks in flight between flower sprigs as they circle the knob, with further flower sprigs alternating with clouds in the outer border, the bronze mirror of silver-grey color: 4¾ in. (12.1 cm.) diam., ¼ in. (.5 cm.) thick, box  515.2g. Estimate $20,000 - $30,000 唐 貼金鴛鴦紋銅鏡 Provenance: Robert H.... [Lire la suite]

A bronze circular mirror with coiled dragon. Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 Crisply cast in relief with a single three-clawed, scaly dragon striding amidst four vaporous clouds as it turns its head around to bite the knob which represents the 'flaming pearl', with silvery grey patina; 5 7/8 in. (15 cm.) diam., 3/16 in. (.4 cm.) thick, box - 615.8g. Estimate $20,000 - $30,000 唐 雲龍紋銅鏡 Provenance: Robert H. Ellsworth Collection, New York, acquired in Hong Kong, 1993. ... [Lire la suite]

A gold and silver-inlaid black-ground bronze circular mirror. Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 The small triple-fluted loop encircled by a band of inlaid diagonal scroll, the main field inlaid with a design of three long-tailed birds alternating with three striding dragons, all within an outer sawtooth border; 8 15/16 in. (22.7 cm.) diam., ¼ in. (.5 cm.) thick, box - 923.4g. Estimate $20,000 - $30,000 西漢 錯金銀龍鳥紋銅鏡  Provenance: A.W. Bahr... [Lire la suite]

A square bronze mirror with trigrams and directional animal decoration. Tang dynasty. Photo Sotheby's framed with a deep rim, the 'Eight Trigrams' surrounding four celestial emblems representing the four cardinal directions; the dragon of the east, the tiger of the west, the bird of the south and the snake-entwined tortoise of the north, the central knob formed by a large tortoise, the patina silvery with green and blue encrustation. Length 6 3/4 in., 16.8 cm. Estimate 10,000-15,000... [Lire la suite]