Cleveland Museum of Art

TLV Mirror with Four Spirits and Companions

Date

9–100 CE

Medium

bronze

Culture

China, Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The back of this mirror shows a diagram of the universe. The concentric rings and swirling cloud band border represent heaven, while the square field around the knob designates the earth. The four directional spirits in the form of animals occupy the space between heaven and earth and are cast in fine lines between the band of swirling clouds and outside the square: the tiger guarding the west, the dragon protecting the east, the red bird representing the south, and the snake-entwined turtle guarding the north.

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