Mirror with Daoist deities

Object Details

• Description

  Mirror, patinated black with spots of green; the rim corroded. Decoration in high relief; dedicatory inscription of 44 characters.

• Inscriptions

  The dedicatory inscription is inverse and reads as follows:

  "I made this shining mirror. In secret I refined the Kung element (earth) and the three shang elements (metals).

  All around I sculptured images; the Five Emperors, the Sovereign of Heaven.

  Po Ya playing.......the lute, the Yellow Emperor dispelling malevolent influences,

  The Red Bird, the Dark Warrior, the White tiger and the Blue Dragon.

• Provenance

  From at least 1935 to 1936

  C. T. Loo & Company, Paris and New York from at least May 16, 1935 [1]

  From 1936

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on March 3, 1936 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See "List of objects owned by C. T. Loo, New York and [sent to] the Gallery for examination," with annotation that the object was received from Paris on May 16, 1935, copy in object file.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice dated March 3, 1936, copy in object file.

  See also C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 85116, C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Personal Luxuries in Early China (July 7, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Chinese Bronze, Jade, Metalwork (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork and Painting, East Corridor (February 15, 1955 to August 26, 1955)

  Special Mirror Exhibition (November 16, 1954 to February 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1944 (November 15, 1944 to May 6, 1946)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to November 17, 1944)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)

  Stone Sculpture, Buddhist Bronze, and Chinese Painting (May 2, 1923 to February 25, 1956)

• Previous custodian or owner

  C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Mirror

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  200s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Art, Inscriptions, Sculpture, Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D., Daoism, Chinese Art, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Mirrors