Minneapolis Institute of Art

Floral-shaped Mirror with Ship, Cloud and Dragon Design and Inscription

Korea

Date

12th century

Medium

Bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhism flourished in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty, and Buddhist themes and symbols came to embellish many artifacts. The overall shape of this mirror is based on a lotus blossom, a Buddhist symbol of purity. The scene probably depicts a spirit boat carrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Dragons cavort in a cosmic sea and one of them blows the boat along its way. The inscription provides a clue that the image is about transition from life to afterlife: “Clear, vast, luminous sky” (Hwangbi changcheon 煌丕昌天). Asia

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