Chinese mirrors - Current and Coming - China Institute Gallery, New York, New York - Brief Article

In a noteworthy accomplishment, Thomas Lynn Carter and his wife, Martha Limback Carter, have assembled a collection of 143 Chinese bronze mirrors that span nearly twenty-five hundred years. Not only chronologically wide-ranging, the collection also represents a variety of production techniques, alloy compositions, and patinations. Among the techniques used to fashion the mirrors were mold casting, cire-perdue (lost-wax), and a complex method known as jinyin pingtuo, which involves gold and silver on a lacquer base. The Carters donated their collection to the Cleveland Museum of Art in honor of Sherman E. Lee, its former director, in two installments in 1995 and 1999. A selection of ninety-two of the mirrors is on view at the China Institute Gallery in New York City until June 2. The show is entitled Circles of Reflection: The Carter Collection of Chinese Bronze Mirrors.

All but a few of the mirrors are circular and lack handles. They feature a highly polished reflective surface on one side and relief ornament on the other. A perforated knob is generally found in the center, through which a ribbon or tassel may have been threaded. The earliest examples date to the Warring States period (475 -221 B.C.) and the latest from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

The diverse themes represented in the decoration include mythical and historical figures, folk tales, zoomorphic imagery, plants, flowers, birds, and other animals. The so-called TLV mirror has a central square surrounded by decorations that resemble the letters T, L, and V of the Western alphabet. These have been variously interpreted to have symbolic meaning, and to be derived from patterns found on gameboards for the game of liubo.

Mirrors were the province of the wealthy and members of the imperial court, and during the Three Kingdoms period (220-265) they were often presented as diplomatic gifts. During the Tang dynasty (618-907), on his birthday the Emperor Ming presented mirrors to his consorts and worthy officials. Since these mirrors were portable (ranging from pocket-sized to fifteen inches in diameter), assigning a geographical origin to a given example is a difficult task. Furthermore, as highly valued objects mirrors were buried with the deceased, but not always with their original owner, as a number of mirrors are known to bear the inscription "Suitable for your sons and grandsons," indicating that they were passed from one generation to the next.

The catalogue of the collection, written by Ju-his Chou with technical analysis by Bruce Christman, was published by the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2000. It may be obtained by telephoning 216-421-0931.

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