A large and rare bronze mirror with mythical animals and long inscription. Sui dynasty (581-618 AD). photo Nagel Auctions

the very well cast silvery grey, very heavy mirror is decorated in high relief in the centre with a large knob with a hole to pass the silk cord for holding or fixing the mirror on a support, surrounded by a ring with 24 small round, raised bosses and a broad band with four mythical animals, perhaps the four animals of the cardinal directions, each separated by a decorative floral motif. Two small saw-tooth bands separate this main central band from a narrow band with an inscription, probably comprising 32 or some more characters: xianshan bingzhao - zhishui qiming - huazhao yancai - yueye liuming - longpan wurui - luanwu shuangqing - chuanwen ren ? - shiyan xiaobing. A broader band surrounds the inscription with twelve partly fabulous animals, equally in high relief, each separated by a stylized floral motif. A saw-tooth band and a band along the raised rim with volute motifs in thin thread-like relief complete the complex decoration of this large and heavy mirror. The shining silvery surface is partly heavily covered with malachite green copper oxidation with some brown rust and spots of red cuprite oxide and earth encrustations. The silvery specular side is largely covered with malachite green oxidation and a few red cuprite spots together with tiny earth incrustations; otherwise good condition, d. 24,1 cm, weight: 3122 gr. D. 24,1 cm - Estimate 20 000 €

Property from an important private collection of Chinese art

Cf. Shanghai Museum (ed.), Ancient bronze mirrors from the Shanghai Museum, 2005, no. 72, here only the principle and technique of the décor arrangement and some similar floral motifs, and no. 69 the somewhat similar decor motif on the band along the rim, both mirrors are dated to the Sui dynasty -

"Xi'an Wenwu Jinghua: Tongjing" in Xi'an, 2008, no. 63, here the identical decor motifs and arrangement with the four animals of the cardinal directions in the centre, surrounded by the twelve zodiac animals, dated to the Sui dynasty

H. Brinker, Bronzen aus dem alten China, Zürich 1975, no. 95, an equally large mirror with comparable motifs, the four animals of the cardinal directions in the centre surrounded by a band with inscription and a larger band with the 12 zodiacal animals around the border, and a similar register of the decoration with the exception of the arrangement and display of the motifs in the centre, dated to the Sui or early Tang Dynasty

Nagel Auctions. Asian Art. November 3rd 2011. www.auction.de