Eight-foiled Mirror with Flower and Phoenix Design (1100s): Art, History and Details

Eight-foiled Mirror with Flower and Phoenix Design (1100s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

From ancient times, a mirror assumed various roles; a ritualistic tool, a diplomatic gift, and a luxury commodity. During the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), which saw the great advancement of metallurgy, the royal court was the center of distributing sophisticated bronze artifacts. According to historical records, on the 7th day of the Lunar New Year, the king bestowed a bronze mirror inscribed with auspicious symbols upon each court official as part of a ceremony to celebrate the Day of Humans. This explains why a large quantity of bronze mirrors were excavated from elite tombs.

Object facts

• Title: Eight-foiled Mirror with Flower and Phoenix Design
• Date: 1100s
• Culture: Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: bronze
• Dimensions: Overall: 13.4 x 0.5 cm (5 1/4 x 3/16 in.)
• Collection: Korean Art
• Department: Korean Art
• Accession number: 1921.660

A detail from the museum

Due to its origin as an important tool in religion and politics, mirrors are often mentioned in many Korean proverbs that warn certain behaviors.

Collection credit

Gift of John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• Choi, Eung-chon. “Metal Arts in the Late Goryeo Period [고려후기의 금속공예].” Kangjwa misulsa (2004): 125-156.
• Choi, Eung-chon. “Craftsmen in Metal Arts in the Goryeo Dynasty [고려시대 金屬工藝의 匠人].” Misulsahak yeongu (2004): 171-192.
• Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.

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.