Mirror with a Lunar Landscape

MIRROR DECORATED WITH A LUNAR LANDSCAPE

Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
Inventory number: XLIX:II:A.09.

A mansion enveloped by clouds is depicted in the background of this mirror decoration. The fact that it is surrounded by clouds implies that the mansion is in an otherworldly context. On the left, we see three people, also on clouds. The person in the middle is Chang E, the goddess of the moon, flanked by two attendants. In the center, a rabbit pounds medicine that will grant immortality with a mortar and pestle. A toad, which has been associated with the moon since at least the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), is sitting to the right of the rabbit. An attendant is crossing a bridge, near the rabbit and toad, followed by his master. On the right of the mirror is a large tree. This is the mythical cinnamon tree that grows on the moon, according to mythology. A dragon leaps through waves in the foreground. Dragons are associated with rain and the emperor.

The scene on this mirror probably depicts a tale about the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) emperor Xuanzong (reign 712 – 756). According to this story, the emperor had a dream in which he journeyed to the moon. During this excursion, he met the goddess Chang E.