Important Art Object
Eight-Lobed Mirror with a design of parrots and flowers
Data
| Period | China, Tang dynasty, 8th century |
|---|---|
| Materials and techniques | White copper |
| Size | D.24.2×23.0 |
Explanation
This mirror shaped in an eight-petal flower is made of fine white copper. On the backside, elaborate floral designs decorate the top and the bottom zones, and a design of parrots holding ribbons in their beaks facing each other is seen in the middle. The bright greenish rusty section that developed over the silvery surface and the fragment of cloth adhered to the mirror suggest that it was excavated from the ground. Parrots-and-flowers motif is a typical design during the Tang dynasty. Mirrors with the same motif are found among other collections, including those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, being one.