Mirror With Signs of the Zodiac

Bronze mirror

The small mirror has a strong edge and is characterized by twelve round discs with the signs of the Zodiac and characters. The mirror-side is not shiny and has traces of oxidation.

Object ID
Tang_006

Age
Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)

Material
Bronze

Color
Bronze-colored

Diameter
5.2 cm

Depth
1.1 cm

Condition
good

Price
on request

Description

The small mirror has a strong edge. It is characterized by twelve round discs with the signs of the Zodiac like rabbit, pig and other animal figures. Between the plaque-like circles of the zodiac are different characters. The mirror-side is not shiny and has traces of oxidation. A ribbon could be pulled through the button in the middle and used to attach it to clothing. [1]

For many centuries the question arose again and again how such a magic mirror worked. The recent research of two professors at the Physics Faculty of the University of Münster/ Germany came to a convincing result. They referred to another Prof. Ayrton who explained already in a lecture 1878 the production techniques of Chinese mirrors. A mirror was produced by pouring molten bronze into a mold that was decorated with a relief-like ornament. The solidified blank then was processed on a wooden base with a kind of plane to smooth the surface.

Through appropriate processing of the surface and the effect of the relief on the back a slightly wavy surface is created. When light falls on them, the recesses look like small concave mirrors. As a result, a slight brightness modulation can be seen in the reflected light. Its structure corresponds to the depressions and elevations of the relief on the back. The mirror unfolds its magic when it is exposed to the light of a bright light source – the best is the sun – when projecting onto a wall in shadow. In the bright spot of light you can more or less see the relief embossed on the back. [2]

 (HV)

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[1] Feddersen, Martin (1955): Chinesisches Kunstgewerbe. Ein Handbuch für Sammler und Liebhaber. Klinkhardt & Biermann. Braunschweig. 164, 166
[2] Schlichting, Hans-Joachim/ Ucke, Christian (checked: 24_06_07): Der chinesische Zauberspiegel. https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/fachbereich_physik/didactic_physik/didactic-physik/publikationen/chinesische Zauberspiegel