Bell-shaped bronze mirror

This bell-shaped mirror comes from the Song dynasty. Its shape is unusual and extremely rare. Mirrors that are cast into the shape of a bell typically do not have a knob in the center because they are plain. It is common for words to comprise the decoration of the mirror. This Song dynasty mirror is special because it not only is decorated with the characters bao jing (precious mirror), but a dragon, a cassia tree, and a moon. The cassia tree is rather large. The scene tells a story with rich detail.