Double-tier Mirror (300s BCE): Art, History and Details

Double-tier Mirror (300s BCE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The craft of mirror making prospered remarkably during the Warring States period, as bronzes increasingly served as luxury items for individuals. A variety of ornamentations appear on the backs of mirrors, some of which bear resemblance to those found in contemporary jades, lacquer wares, and textiles—all luxury items of the day. This tiny round mirror belongs to the rare double-cast type. It consists of two different layers: a reflective disc with a central knob at the back, and a ring with openwork designs of undulating serpents.

Object facts

• Title: Double-tier Mirror
• Date: 300s BCE
• Culture: China, Warring States period (475–221 BCE)
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: bronze
• Dimensions: Diameter: 7.6 cm (3 in.); Overall: 0.8 cm (5/16 in.); Rim: 0.5 cm (3/16 in.)
• Collection: China - Zhou Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1999.220

A detail from the museum

This luxury object consists of two different layers: a reflective disc with a central knob on the back, and a ring with openwork serpent designs.

Collection credit

Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee

Further reading listed by the museum

• Cleveland Museum of Art, “Cleveland Museum of Art Acquires Rare Chinese Paintings, Baroque Porcelain Plaque and Other New Acquisitions Exhibited with Hanging Scrolls,” December 20, 1999, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives.
• Chou, Ju-hsi. Circles of reflection: the Carter collection of Chinese bronze mirrors. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.