A good bronze mirror with persons and animal in a landscape, China, late Song (960-1279). Estimate 800/1200 €. Unsold  Photo Nagel

the thin bronze mirror is cast in relief with a landscape scene with a woman, sitting on the left under a huge rock, and a man approaching with a goat from the right; above at the flat border rim is a small cartouche with an inscription indicating the subject of the representation, a scene from the Tang period novel Liu Yi chuan shu. The young man Liu Yi returns from the unsuccessful civil service examination which he did not pass and crossed on his way home the beautiful, but unhappily married daughter of the dragon king, obliged by her husband to tend goats. Liu Yi helped tending and fell in love with her, and finally married her later. Both sides of the mirror are covered with thin brownish-red patina and some malachite green encrustation. D. 13 cm

Property from an old European private collection

NAGEL. "Asian Art". Sale 722, 06/06/2015