Mirror with Images of Daoist Deities (Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), 2nd or 3rd century CE): Artwork and History

Mirror with Images of Daoist Deities (Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), 2nd or 3rd century CE) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as China probably from Zhejiang province.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Mirrors of the Han dynasty were designed to procure blessings of longevity for the living and to guide the soul of the deceased toward immortal bliss. The images cast on the back of this mirror figured prominently in the quest for immortality that pervaded Han China. Two venerated deities that were later incorporated into the Taoist pantheon—the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wang Mu) and the King Father of the East (Dong Wang Kong)—are seated opposite the central knob. Each is attended by immortals, identified by their whisks. Horse-drawn chariots may be interpreted as vehicles to escort the soul on its journey between this world and the next.

Object facts

• Title: Mirror with Images of Daoist Deities
• Date: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), 2nd or 3rd century CE
• Artist attribution: China probably from Zhejiang province
• Place of origin: China
• Medium: Bronze
• Dimensions: 20.6 × 0.6 cm (8 1/8 × 1/4 in.)
• Type: Metalwork
• Department: Arts of Asia
• Reference number: 1929.644

Collection credit

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

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The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.