Multicolored Chinese bronze mirrors

In ancient bronze implements, the bronze mirrors used for surface paintings spread far and wide, and they are very elaborate. The early bronze mirrors were round, polished on the front, and had buttons on the back for wearing. At present, China's earliest discovery of bronze mirrors occurred during the Qijia Culture period more than 4,000 years ago.

The Bronze Mirrors during the Shang Dynasty were smaller and the mirror backs were decorated with geometric patterns.

The bronze mirrors of the Western Zhou Dynasty were generally primed, but they had many forms of buttons.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were few bronze mirrors, most of which were primed, and a few were decorated with tigers, deer, and birds.

During the Warring States Period, bronze mirrors were developed in large numbers, and the most unearthed area was Changsha, indicating that the bronze mirror's casting center of gravity has been transferred to the southern region. The bronze mirrors produced in this period are more exquisite, light and thin, with small buttons and generally exquisitely decorated. The most common ones are the mountain pattern, the dragon and phoenix pattern, the mosaic pattern, the arc pattern, and the diamond pattern. less.

The bronze mirrors of the Western Han Dynasty became thicker and thicker. There were often inscriptions on the mirrors of the auspicious words. The mirror buttons were mostly hemispherical, and the persimmon buttons were very popular. At the same time, there is also a “light to see the day” light-transmitting mirror. When the mirror surface receives sunlight, the wall reflects the pattern corresponding to the back of the mirror.

From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were embossed portraits and sacred mirrors.

The Tang Dynasty was the peak period of the development of bronze mirrors in China. It not only produced Seiko, but also broke the single mode of traditional bronze mirrors with round knobs. There were various forms such as square, diamond-shaped, sunflower-shaped, and handle-handed mirrors. It has also become rich and varied, with flowers, butterflies, grapes, birds and animals, and character stories. During this period, there was also a gold and silver flat mirage.

In the Song Dynasty, casting mirror technology began to decline gradually. Song Jingwen was decorated with tangled flowers, peony, etc. Huzhou was the most famous mirror center in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the mirror back was often tagged with a mirror workshop.

After the Qianlong period in the Qing Dynasty, bronze mirrors were gradually replaced by glass mirrors.