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WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 B.C. – A.D. 9). A crisply executed and well-designed small white bronze mirror of a well-documented type known in China as ‘riguang’ and representing the sun with eight rays pointing to a surrounding circular register bearing a related eight-character inscription. This example is nearly identical to a published example excavated at Luoyang in Henan Province (later the capital of the Eastern Han) although variations of different sizes but bearing similar inscriptions have been found all over China. See “Bronze Mirrors From Ancient China /Donald H. Graham Jr. Collection” by Toru Nakano, Tseng Yuho Ecke and Suzanne Cahill (1994) for several mirrors of like type, in particular, Catalogue no. 35 (p. 128), a somewhat larger mirror which, however, bears the same eight character inscription—filled out with the same alternating diamond and inverted comma decorative motif— which has been translated as: “If you see the sunshine, the world beneath heaven shines very brightly.” Catalogue no. 37 (p. 132) shows a related mirror with a patina and finish very similar to our example. See also “Circles of Reflection / The Carter Collection of Chinese Bronze Mirrors” by Ju-hsi Chou (copyright 2000 The Cleveland Museum of Art) Catalogue no. 14 (p.35) ‘Mirror with Concentric Circles and Linked Arcs’ whose similar inscription is translated as “By the light of the sun, The world is made bright.” The small mirror is approximately 6.8cm (2-5/8”) in diameter and 0.25cm thick, weighing 58 grams (2 ozs). The relief decoration is recessed about 0.2cm below a raised, 0.5cm wide outer rim; the pierced central boss protruding above. The outside edge of the mirror is slightly angled and just under 3 mm thick. In addition to photographs taken in natural and enhanced light, we are supplying 10x and 60x magnified views of both sides. Additional photographs will be e-mailed to you on request. Copyright 2009 by Robert McCaffrey for RuyiStudio San Francisco. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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