Bronze 'Crest' mirror, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 4th century BCE. Diameter 9.2 cm; weight 153 g. Catalog 41 © 2026 Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Ancient Bronze Mirrors

The Taotie pattern is a design of a monstrous beast used on bronze artifacts from the Yin and Zhou dynasties onward. "Tao" means to covet wealth, and "tie" means to covet food and drink. Characterized by large eyes and mouth, horns, and claws, it is considered a vicious beast that devours humans, but its power is also believed to ward off evil.