Archaeology Magazine - September 1949 - 6

ARCHAEOLOGY

shown by later diagrams on which they are labeled
as such.)
This concept of an idealized map of the Earth,
as the men of Han knew it, is further emphasized
on this particular mirror by the figures of spiritmen or "barbarians,"
and wild birds and animals
in the four outer fields; while the inner square
contains the twelve signs of the zodiac, which incidentally are symbols of Chinese science and
order; and the arrow-shaped
projections raying
out from the center may be conceived of as emanations of divine power and grace extending out
from the center of the "Middle Kingdom," which

Reuben Goldberg photo
Fig. 5. Ming marriage mirror, sixteenth
century A.D. The pattern shows, in greatly deteriorated technique, a human couple and emblems of good fortune. Diameter 3 Vi inches.
was at the same time, in Chinese eyes, the center
of the world.
In short, the whole pattern on this Han mirror
the Universe
with its elements in
represents
orderly balance around a central point. The opposition of the two basic forces which underlie
Nature are not prominently
here,
emphasized
though as we have seen they are represented by
the creatures of the directions, Bird vs. Tortoise,
and Dragon vs. Tiger.
The second mirror (Figure
2) is a product of
the earlier part of the T'ang Dynasty (618-907

A.D.). The Tang was China's golden age, when
the empire, which had fallen apart soon after the
collapse of the Han, was once again reunited and
The power and solidity of the new
very strong.
empire, and its far-flung international connections,
are reflected perhaps subconsciously in many productions of early T'ang art. For these reveal a
natural strength and comparative simplicity, with
an extensive use of foreign motives, many of them
from the Near East. This mirror, made of finest
speculum, expresses well the spirit of the times,
with its four masses of main figures firmly delineated against a plain background.
Foreign influence is expressed in the parrots and grapes,
which were presumably derived from Persian motives, and by the eight lobes of its border, a popular T'ang convention probably suggested by the
eight-petaled lotus, a chief symbol of the Buddhist
faith derived from India.
From its decoration we gather that this was a
marriage mirror, which would have been held by
the bride-to-be in her lap, to avert evil influences,
as she was carried to the groom's home for the
ceremony, and later hung over the marriage bed
to protect the couple from malignant spirits and
to ensure their happiness.2 The central portion
shows, on opposite sides of the boss, a male and
female mythical lion ( suan-i ) - the former indicated by the horn on his brow - and parrot mates
at the bottom. The lobes of the rim contain opposed pairs of sparrows and butterflies - also to
be considered as mates - together with twin buds,
suggesting flowers which will bloom to fulfillment
These are all natural symbols of a
together.
human couple in the balanced harmony of ideal
marriage ; while the crane at the top of the central
field is a common symbol of ldngevity, conveying
the wish that the couple in question might live to
a ripe old age, and perhaps even enjoy immortality
Thus, by extension - -as the microcosm
together.
was supposed to reflect the rtiacrocosm - these
symbols of the lasting harmony of an ideal couple
would have recalled to the men of that time the
enduring balance of the two great forces in
Nature.
A Late T'ang marriage mirror of a rather
familiar type (Figure
3) bears a somewhat similar portrayal of the ideas suggested by the last.
2 Another form of
T'ang marriage mirror has been described by the writer in "A Rare T'ang Mirror," Art
Quarterly 9 (1946) 93-114.

Archaeology Magazine - September 1949

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - September 1949