Mirror with Twin Dragons and Lotus Blossoms

Description

The mirror features a pair of dragons poised to seize flaming pearls. Blossoms like lotus and chrysanthemum emerge among the dragons. Surrounding the central knob of the mirror is a square enclosing the characters "至元四年 (Fourth Year of Zhiyuan, 1338)." The square also encompasses a barely legible engraving which identifies the workshop in today’s Shanxi province: "White bronze mirror cast under the supervision of retainers from the house of Ma Gouyu in the prefecture of Hezhong."

Provenance

Thomas and Martha Carter, Madison, WI

Mirror with Twin Dragons and Lotus Blossoms

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1338

Accession Number

1995.388

Medium

bronze

Dimensions

Diameter: 23.4 cm (9 3/16 in.); Overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); Rim: 0.8 cm (5/16 in.)

Classification

Metalwork

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee