Mirror with Images of Daoist Deities

Art Institute of Chicago

Mirror with Images of Daoist Deities

ChinaLinkedCulture matchlcp-777a05c2acea

Date
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), 2nd or 3rd century CE
Medium
Bronze
Culture
China
Department
Arts of Asia
Institution
Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID
3316

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

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.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line
Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection
Provenance
Yamanaka and Company, Bar Harbor, ME; sold to Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858–1937), Chicago, [Kate served as executor of her sister Lucy Maud Buckingham's estate and continued expanding Lucy's collection following her death in 1920] Dec. 12, 1929; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Dec. 12, 1929.

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Object type
AAT300411548

Part of a LinkedCulture topic

  • Representative object from the topic Chinese Bronze Mirrors
    Chinese Bronze Mirrors

    These objects are all bronze mirrors from various Chinese dynasties, spanning from the Eastern Zhou period through the Yuan dynasty, representing a continuous tradition of decorative metalwork.

    175 objects from 4 institutions

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