Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 9. (Budapest, 1966)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Ferenczy, László: Chinese Bronze Mirrors from the Han Period

Fig. 6. Inscription mirror. China, Western Han period were supposed to render the structural parts of the parasol) were mostly found on mirrors of the 1st century B.C.

21 Our piece distinguishes itself from that described by Bulling by the inner circle of arcs which is equally representative of the last stage of the Western Han period. Among recent Chinese finds, two mirrors can be cited by way of analogy, which have been found in the eastern suburb of Hsian in graves of the Han period.

22 The threefold connecting lines are here replaced by crossed squares. d) Mirror with inscription (ming kuang) (fig. 5.). The even base of the comparatively small, hemispherical central knob is surrounded by a circle of eight arcs. At each point of the arcs there is a curved line, every second of which is joint with parallel lines to the base of the knob. In the main zone between the two bands with slanting comb-teeth there is an inscription, with the character erh repeated after every second character: nei ch'ing i chao ming kuang fu ji yiieh (its interior is pure and thereby it reflects the light; its brilliance is like the sun and the moon). The rim of the mirror is even and thick, its diameter of 8,3 cm. There are minor offcasts on the internal ring. It is covered with green and red-brown patina. Similar mirrors are known from many graves of the Han period and are mentioned by the name of erh-tzu or ming-kuang. There is usually no coherent text to be gathered from these mirrors on account of the inserted characters „erh"; so Hirth thought that the character erh stands for fieri (heaven), an opinion that is not shared by 21 Bulling : The decoration ... p. 27. PI. 20. 22 Shansi-sheng chu-tu t'ung ching. PI. 34., 35.