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

TLV mirror. China, Eastern Han period f) Presentation mirror (fig. 7.). A mirror of excellent quality, with , lacquered" (hei ch'i ku) greyish black surface. The hemispherical knob is surrounded by a quatrefoil, with a character between each of the leaves: chang i tzu sun (,,may you forever have sons and grandsons"). The quatrefoil is surrounded by a salient ring and an eightfold ring of arcs. Placed on a semicircle in the points of the arcs, there are threefold lines and double decorations attached to spirals alternating with one another. The internal edge of the arcs is attached to the internal ring by a threefold pattern of parallel lines. Further outside, between two stripes with slanting combteeth, there are eight big spirals connected by straight and transversal lines. 14 cm in diameter, the mirror has a broad plain rim. The decoration of such presentation mirrors was rather of a standard type, with no differences but in minor details. Similar pieces were published by Umehara from the Sumitomo collection

29 and by Rupert from the Todd collection.

30 The spirals may be replaced by concentrical circles, or there may be a difference in the connecting part between the ring of arcs and the centre. The finish of these mirrors does credit to the finest Chinese craftsmanship. Very many of them were found in Shantung province. The possible symbolic meanings of the decoration were summarized by Bulling, who defines them as cosmic 29 Senoku-Seisho or The collection of old bronzes of Baron Sumitomo. Part II. Ancient mirrors. Tokyo, 1921. PI. 101. 30 Op. cit. Pl. V. No. 13.