Bronze Mirror with Dragon Pattern

Excavated from the Western-Han tomb in Cansang Brick & Tile Factory, Xihu town, suburbs of Yangzhou city in 2001, this round bronze mirror is a rare piece housed in museums of Yangzhou city as it is typical of bronze mirrors from the period between late Warring States (475-221 BC) and early Western-Han dynasty (202 BC-8 AD). Though eroded on the face, the mirror looked glimmering with the color of bronze at the moment of excavation. In the center of the mirror back there is a half-ring knob with beast motifs sitting on a base decorated with a double-dragon pattern. The knob base is surrounded by two parallel lines, which is circled by an inscription meaning “great pleasure, abundant wealth and enough food and wine for thousands of years”. There are another pair of parallel lines, with the outer one featuring the rope pattern, circling the inscription.
The main ornament on the mirror back with a foundation of cloud and thunder motifs are four groups of intertwining dragons in various forms, with every two groups separated by flame patterns. All these well-placed patterns feature clear-cut lines and well-designed structures.