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. 7. Presentation mirror. China, Middle Han period Karlgren. Giles thinks that this character may have several other meanings too (^similar" and „thou"). According to Bulling, the character erh reminds of ornamental motifs to be found on lacquers and other objects of the Western Han period. As far as the two bands with the slanting comb-teeth are concerned, she thinks they refer to the location of the inscription on a parasol.

23 Such mirrors with inscriptions occured frequently in the second half of the Western Han period. Analogous specimens found in Hsian may be mentioned among recent Chinese finds.

24 The Dong-Son mirror of Hanoi Museum is also comparable, with only the inner circle of arcs missing.

25 e

) Mirror with inscription (nei-hsiang lien hu) (fig. 6.). The high, large knob rises from a quatrefoil-patterned base which is surrounded by a plain ring and by one with slanting comb-teeth. Between the leaves of the quatrefoil there are needle-like decorations with linear ornaments curved on both sides. Further outside there is a large eight-part circle of arcs at the points of which threefold lines and double spiral ornaments emerge towards the centre. An arched decoration of three lines is situated in the internal slope of the arcs; between two stripes with slanting indentation there is the inscription of 34 characters : lien yeh ch'ien hua ch'ing erh ming i chih wei ching yin i wen chang yen nien i shou ch'ü pu hsiang yü t'ien um chi erh jih yüeh kuang ch'ien ch'iu ivan (I refine and work the flower (essence) of the lead; it is 23 Bulling: The decoration ... p. 27., 29. 24 Shansi-sheng tu t'ung ching, PI. 28., 29.; Kaogu. 1963. No. 3. 2

"' Vandermersch : op. cit. p. 10 and Pl. III.