Product Description

CHINESE GREYISH WHITE JADE CONVEX MIRROR DEPICTING BAT AND PHOENIX DESIGNS AROUND ON THE ONE SIDE. THE BACK SIDE IS PLAIN WITHOUT ANY DESIGN.

BROWN AND RUSSET INCLUSIONS AND VEINS.

SIZE: 13 CMS DIAMETER, 1 CMS THICK.

NOTE:

JADE MIRROR:

THE JADE MIRROR, LIKE ITS MODERN GLASS COUNTERPART, WAS A HOUSEHOLD ARTICLE OF DAILY USE IN WHICH TO LOOK AT ONESELF. ITS OBVERSE SIDE WAS SO SMOOTHLY POLISHED THAT IT CAN REFLECT THE IMAGE OF THE USER’S FACE. THE REVERSE SIDE IS OFTEN CARVED WITH ELABORATE DECORATIONS AS AN ART OBJECT. MOST JADE MIRRORS IN CHINA HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATING TO GENERATION IN OLD FAMILIES. THE MIRROR BECAME A POPULAR OBJECT DURING THE PERIOD OF THE WARRING STATES (475-221 B.C). THE MIRROR NORMALLY BEAR THE USUAL DESIGNS LIKE ANIMALS, FLOWERS AND LEAVES, DRAGON AND PHOENIX. DURING THE QING (1616-1911), IT WAS GRADUALLY REPLACED BY THE GLASS MIRROR.
BRONZE AND JADE MIRRORS, WERE ONE OF THE FUNERARY OBJECTS OF ANCIENT CHINA, ARE OFTEN FOUND IN OLD TOMBS. THEY ARE PLACED NEAR THE HEAD OR CHEST OF HE DEAD OR PACKED WITH COMBS IN LACQUER BOXES OR PUNCHES WITHIN EASY REACH. SOME OF THEM ARE FOUND AT THE TOP OF THE BURIAL CHAMBER OR AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE COFFIN, SUGGESTING A BELIEF THAT THE MIRROR HAD THE MAGIC POWER OF WARDING OFF EVIL SPIRITS.