Page 208 - Sotheby's Chinese Ceramics Nov 30 2017 Hong Kong

Chinese bronze mirrors are highly sophisticated in their copper, tin, and lead; brass is one of copper and zinc.
decorative patterns and casting techniques. They were The two alloys can only sometimes be distinguished by
traded throughout East, North, and Central Asia and microscopic examination. If a mirror contains a high
exerted a tremendous cultural influence. The oldest concentration of tin, it turns into a silvery white colour
Chinese bronze mirror dates from roughly 1900-1800 BC after casting and can produce a very clear specular
and was found in an area around modern-day Xinjiang, reflection. Tin increases the hardness of bronze and thus
Gansu, and Qinghai. The polished surface of a bronze the clarity and detail of its cast decoration, but also makes
mirror is reflective, while the obverse side is patterned. it brittle. A high concentration of lead makes a mirror more
The decoration on the oldest bronze mirrors was confined tensile and resistant to cracking, but reduces the clarity
to simple geometric shapes, but on later examples it of its reflection and decorative patterns. On the whole, the
became increasingly varied as casting techniques became lots on offer have a high concentration of tin, as indicated
increasingly advanced. The lots presently on offer, mostly by the clarity and detail of their decorative patterns. These
dating to the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing periods, are fine include in particular the few Tang-dynasty bronze mirrors.
examples of Chinese bronze mirrors. Their reflective surfaces would have appeared in a silvery
white tone at the time of casting, although they have been
Decorative design
subsequently corroded.
Exemplary of the richly variated decorative programs
Uses
of later Chinese bronze mirrors, these mirrors depict
animals, floral subjects, human figures, and narratives. Chinese bronze mirrors come in two basic types. The first
The floral patterns are sometimes extremely dense and includes a handle on one end that allows the user to hold
fine, encircling the entirety of the back of a mirror. The it up. The other includes a holed knob on the back that
designers’ ingenuity is reflected in animal figures such allows the user to pass a cord through it and lift it using
as the lions on the mirrors with patterns of auspicious the cord. From the Shang dynasty onwards, the latter type
creatures and grapes, as well as human figures like Daoist became predominant. The majority of the lots on offer
immortals, Buddhist deities and the protagonists of the include knobs.
story of Xu You and Chao Fu. Some Ming-dynasty mirrors
After the Warring States Period, Chinese bronze mirrors
bear only a simple pattern of concentric circles and are
were distributed throughout the Asian continent, earning
distinguished by textual inscriptions of Han style. These
the admiration of various cultures with their beautiful
express auspicious wishes that were intended to attract
decoration and fine craftsmanship.
buyers.
Kin Sum Sammy Li
Casting techniques
Aside from the usual bronze mirrors, brass mirrors were
also produced in ancient China. Bronze is an alloy of

古代中國銅鏡紋飾精美，鑄造精良，行銷整個東亞、北 辨二者有時要靠精密科學儀器才可得。銅鏡若含錫量較
亞、中亞大陸，影響深遠。中國最古老的銅鏡可追溯到公 高，鑄成後則呈銀白色，在打磨後能反映非常清晰的鏡
元前1900至前1800年左右，在今天的新疆、甘肅、青海 像。含錫量高使銅鏡較為堅硬，但也較脆，而紋飾則會較
等地發現。銅鏡鏡面是拿來反射影像的，銅背則飾有圖 清楚，對於鑄造繁密紋飾的銅鏡，高錫含量有助清晰呈現
案。最早的銅鏡紋飾多為簡單幾何紋。及至後世，紋飾多 其紋飾。含鉛量高的銅鏡則會較堅韌，但在鏡像反映與紋
變，鑄造越趨精良。這批銅鏡就是其中的佼佼者。它們最 飾清晰度上則不及高錫銅鏡。這批銅鏡整體看來，高錫銅
早的可能至東漢魏晉時代，以唐、宋、明、清為主。 鏡比較多，使其紋飾清晰鑄成。雖然鏽蝕破壞了其鏡面的
反射功能，但其鑄成之時，應為泛着漂亮的銀白色。其中
紋飾設計
幾面唐代銅鏡即是如此產物。
後世多元多變的紋飾在這批銅鏡上表露無遺，包含有動
物、花草、人物、故事等紋飾。花草紋可以非常繁密細 使用方法
緻，通常以纏繞的枝葉佈滿鏡背。動物紋如海獸葡萄鏡 中國的銅鏡有兩種形式，一種是在鏡的一端裝柄，照鏡者
的獅子，人物故事紋如仙道人物、許由巢父故事的主角， 握着手柄照看；一種是在鏡背上鑄有鏡鈕，照鏡者用絲布
都可見銅鏡設計者的匠心獨運。有些銅鏡則以銘文取勝。 穿過鏡鈕中孔，照看時提起絲布就可提起銅鏡。從商代以
圖案紋飾只有一道道的重圈紋，但以仿製漢代流行的銅鏡 來，有鏡鈕的銅鏡就佔有主導地位，這批銅鏡就多數是帶
銘文，鑄於明代的銅鏡上，表達美好的祝願，以此來吸引 鏡鈕的。
買家。
中國的銅鏡自戰國時代以來，散佈全亞洲大陸，其精美紋
鑄造技藝 飾、優良工藝，一直吸引不同文化的欣賞者。
我們今天所見的古代中國銅鏡多為青銅鏡，有些則是黃銅
李建深
鏡。青銅鏡是銅、錫、鉛合金，黃銅鏡是銅、鋅合金，分

206 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比