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TWO BRONZE CIRCULAR MIRRORS

Western Han/Xin Dynasty
The first with central knop within a squared border, encircled by
eight nipples surrounded by ‘TLV’ motifs and ‘The Guardians of the
Four Directions’ with their spirit companions, further encircled by an
inscription within hatchured, saw tooth and stylised foliate borders,
with dark grey patina; the second with the central knop within a four-
petalled surround, encircled by plain and hatchured borders, enclosing
a frieze bearing the Four Guardians and companions, with four smaller
nipples.
The first 15.8cm (6.1/4in) diam; the second 16.5cm (6.1/2in) diam. (2).

£4,000 - 6,000 Literature
CNY37,000 - 55,000 The ‘TLV’ mirror: S. Umehara, Miroirs Chinois dans les Collections
HK$44,000 - 66,000 Europeens et Americains, pl. XXVIII.
S. Umehara, Shina kodo Seikwa, (Selected relics of Ancient Chinese
Provenance bronzes from Collections in Europe and America), 1933, Vol.I, pl.64.
The ‘TLV’ mirror: Collection of D. David-Weill. Inventory number
D-W.2565.1. For a comparable group of mirrors dated to the Xin Dynasty, see
The ‘animal frieze’ mirror: Sotheby’s London, 7 April 1981, lot 47. Circles of Reflection: The Carter Collection of Chinese Bronze Mirrors,
Purchased Bluett & Sons Ltd. in 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000, pp.44-46, nos. 27-29.

Exhibited For a related example see Circles of Reflection: The Carter Collection
The ‘TLV’ mirror: Musée de L’Orangerie, ‘Chinese Bronzes from the of Chinese Bronze Mirrors, The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000, p. 40,
Tcheou, Ts’in and Han Dynasties’, 1934, catalogue no. 52. no. 21.
Sotheby’s London, 29 February 1972, Lot 74.

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