Collection record · Everyday wonders
Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix
The collection record classifies this work as metalwork. It is dated late 700s. Recorded culture or place: China, Tang dynasty (618-907).
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A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix
- Date
- late 700s
- Culture / origin
- China, Tang dynasty (618-907)
- Materials and technique
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 21.6 cm (8 1/2 in.); Overall: 1.2 cm (1/2 in.); Rim: 0.6 cm (1/4 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1995.369
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
The inscription on this mirror states it was one of a pair made of metals from the south, and placed in a jade box, perhaps alluding to a wedding gift. The meaning of its design is not entirely known, but may refer to the Daoist immortal Hou Jin, who played the qin (stringed instrument), understood the language of birds, and could make predictions based on the reflections on water. The motifs of the phoenix, the pond, and the qin may all refer to the quest for immortality.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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