| This mirror was found in 1973 and dated to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the time of Yi Xing. Mirrors such as this have been found that date to the early Bronze Age. The urge to see ourselves is not a recent pride. The bronze or other metal would be highly polished on the front side and embossed or engraved on the back side with designs, flowers, or figures. The present example includes the symbols of the three Polar regions - the Purple Forbidden Palace, the Celestial Palace, and the Celestial Market. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Phoenix, and Black Tortoise are also included. The eight trigrams and famous constellations are worked into decorations for outer rings. |
