Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mirror with eight arches, decorated with peonies and leaves

Korea

Date

12th-13th century

Medium

Bronze, glass

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Finely cast bronze mirrors were a standard luxury good among aristocratic men and women. While the fronts were polished to achieve a reflective surface, the backs were cast in decorative relief and organized around a central domed eyelet to accommodate a cord. As magical solar disks, they were also frequently placed in tombs in the belief that they could illuminate the darkness for the spirit of the deceased. Korea, Asia

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