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Mirror

About 8th century

North China, reportedly found in Henan Province

Bronze with gold and silver inlays in lacquer

H. 5 7/8 x W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 x 14.9 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.119

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The decoration of the back of this mirror illustrates the use of gold and silver during the Tang dynasty (618-906). The 7th and 8th centuries marked the height of the dynasty's power and prestige. They also saw a flowering of the arts and an increase in the number of precious-metal objects. The birds, flowers, insects, plants, and decorative motifs that embellish the back of this bronze mirror were cut from individual pieces of gold and silver foil, inlaid into a lacquer base, and then covered with an additional layer of lacquer to keep them in place. While this method of inlaying can be traced to the Han period (206 B.C.E. - C.E. 220), the plants and birds in the design are typically Tang.