A Very Rare Large Gold And Silver-inlaid Lacquered-bronze Mirror
TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907)
This Tang Dynasty bronze mirror exemplifies the sophisticated metallurgical and decorative techniques of China's golden age, featuring intricate gold and silver inlay work against a lacquered surface. The combination of multiple precious materials and the refined craftsmanship reflect the cosmopolitan tastes and technical mastery that characterized Tang court culture. Such mirrors served both practical and symbolic functions, often given as prestigious gifts and valued for their exceptional artistic quality.
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Christie's
Notes
LOT ESSAY The present mirror is lavishly inlaid with gold and silver sheet with birds, butterflies, clouds and flowers. Mirrors of this type, with their rich combination of gold and silver decoration on a lacquer ground set into the back of the bronze mirror, reflect the splendor and sumptuous taste of the Tang court. Mirrors similar to the present example found their way to Japan at an early date, such as the similarly decorated eight-lobed mirror in the Shoso-in, illustrated by Ryochi Hayashi, The Silk Road and the Shoso-in, New York/Tokyo, 1975, p. 129, fig. 142. See, also, an eight-lobed example with flowers and birds in the Cleveland Museum of Art illustrated by J. C. Y. Watt and P. Harper in China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, New York, 2004, p. 322, no. 217. Neither of these examples, however, is as densely decorated as the present example.
🔨 Auction Lot
Important Chinese Art
March 26, 2026
Estimate: $12,000 – $18,000
Sold: $215,900
Lot 682
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