Cleveland Museum of Art

Cruciform Mirror with Six Blossoms

Date

960–1127

Medium

bronze

Culture

China, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This cross-shaped mirror has a simple wide frame and a small knob. A part of the floral pattern surrounding the knob has been compromised, likely due to poor casting or damage. The mirror is decorated with designs of flower branches and leaves, which encapsulate six flowers. A few of these branches protrude beyond the beaded circular border to touch the edge of the outer circle, adding a playful dynamism. Similar motifs can be found on silver objects and porcelain of this period. Bronze mirrors were made in China from neolithic times until the Qing dynasty, when glass mirrors were brought to China from the West.

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