Different from the pre-Qin Han Dynasty bronze statue mirror

Han Dynasty bronze mirror in the world spread more fine artifacts also often appear on the market. I am in Tokyo, Japan Akasaka, a Chinese antique shop had seen a good bronze mirrors, the price of ￥ 1,000,000 (RMB 8 million yuan). I am ten years ago and bronze expert for Mr. Cheng Changxin near the Drum Tower, a farmer selling second-hand encounter, in which a Chinese mirror the Queen Mother asking price is only $ 25. Cheng personally buy into the system after the rubbing, but unfortunately this move several times in the mirror in the lost. See from these two cases, the Han bronze sculpture mirror is highly valued in foreign countries, and in the domestic market as long as knowledgeable, can be obtained with less investment.

Different from the pre-Qin Han Dynasty bronze statue mirror of the most important feature of the mirror body is heavy, mirror size has increased (200 mm or more have been common), various decoration, inscriptions prevailed, in the identification of three areas should be aware of the following characteristics:

First, the shape: the round-based, appeared in the late Western Han Dynasty to the square, water chestnut-shaped and bell-shaped mirror. New Zealand's bow from the Qin mirror, rectangular, semi-ring into the hemispherical-based. Than the pre-Qin thick mirror body weight by about 200 mm total diameter of up to 2,500 grams.

Second, color: As with silver, tin and other co-refining, the aggravation often color "white as silver," long after the appearance of the oxidation and the formation of a deep black stroke in the membrane surface through the yellow, the so-called "color such as deep Mexican, "" the color of dark green. " The corrosion is Ying green and lovely, not that kind of frivolous sense.

Third, the decoration: get rid of the pre-Qin period to grain, chinese bronze the most representative of the inscriptions there. The early Western Han Dynasty has been a four-nipple or nipple-separated layout pattern; late Western Han Dynasty by the "rule-pattern" with the main inscription. Others such as four spirits, animal, Queen Mother of the West, East, kings and other mythical pattern also appeared in large numbers. The following examples illustrate in different decorations:

Shang Fang Yu mirror: This is typical of the Western Han Dynasty mirror decoration. Outer ring is a geometric pattern, the middle cast inscriptions, inner "four spirits" pattern. This mirror inscription is "still side Royal mirror big no injuries, clever work carved into the article, left Long Right Tiger provision is not sheep, Suzaku basalt along the yin and yang, children and grandchildren prepare." Shang Fang refers to the Chinese government offices, "Shang Fang order", which is a chair made Royal artifacts institution. Home until the time of the Qin and Han followed. Han Dynasty "Shang Fang" bronze dragon mirror of the inscription is indeed "kiln." Some Chinese side is still the word in mirror writing as "above", also. "Provision is not sheep," is to avoid the ominous meaning. Such auspicious Han language is common.

On Fang Jiyang mirror: the mid-Western Han Dynasty mirrors, layout and decoration imperial side mirror is still the same, but with four nipple into the inner partition, the upper and lower decorative fairy, so auspicious ornaments. Inscription: "The top of the mirror to make good and well, that the sun and the moon little world, big rich, should be grandson, Yang Come down." "Above" or "still side order", "and" read the word "like" sound, " Yang "with" like "is a pass off the words," good "character is anti-books, books in this anti-Chinese mirror common, but also a basis for identification of Chinese mirror.

12 hour rule pattern mirror: This is the late Eastern Han Dynasty Western Han Dynasty the standard mid-decoration. Outside the geometric pattern, the inner ring into the square, Ming "Zaichou Yin-mao ..." so 12 hour, the main pattern of the middle Dragon, White Tiger, Red Phoenix, basalt, "four spirits" among the four animal. Animal pattern with "L", "T"-shaped two-pattern separation. This "L", "T" pattern, said pattern rule, the mid-Western Han dynasty, Eastern Han Dynasty of the most popular patterns, the late Eastern Han Dynasty rarely produced.

Good bronze mirror: the Eastern Han Dynasty bronze mirror. Inscriptions as "Chinese have a good Danyang copper, and tin with silver and clear out, right-left dragon tiger actually" in the middle with eight nipple and good God rules the eight separate lines. "Good copper" is the best of the Han dynasty copper, produced in Danyang. "Han Food and Money" contains: "There are third-class gold, gold is on the platinum, the pure gold for the next." And Note: Meng Kang said, "pure gold, Danyang copper also." Shows the Danyang copper and gold as precious metal par. "Chinese are good Danyang copper out" is common in the Eastern Han Dynasty chinese bronze sculpture mirror inscription "actually" is "mirror."

Dragon's Mirror: This is a mid-Eastern Han Dynasty Western Han Dynasty to the mid-folk artisan mirror decoration system of standards. The geometry around the inscriptions, inscriptions as "Dragon's good and good for the mirror, while the sun and the moon that little world, engraved lead Xijie in sub-rule, should pro-long security two grandchildren, East Princes, Queen Mother, Come down foreign men. "Dragon's mirror is the person's name, the system of the Han people often mirror those name cast in the mirror, in order to credit. Such as "Ma", "Zhang", etc. The other kings such as East, West, Queen Mother of the inscriptions is also very common.

Appropriate official mirror: even in a simple arc pattern, the cast inscription on the eye-catching. Inner inscription is: Jun Yi Executive ", outer inscription is" bit to the kings. "There is a similar inscription," should have children "" Long live the future generations, "" senior officials ", etc., are common to the Han Dynasty.

In the identification of ancient mirror, there is a problem worth noting that the Han Dynasty and modern weights and measures the relationship between units of measurement. Many collectors used as a basis to identify ancient literature collections, if the size used in ancient books that apply to rigid, then the likelihood for the take off genuine fake. Song such as "archaeological map", "Vision and Bo Gu map" Ming Dynasty "ancient to be on the grid," Qing Dynasty "ancient Xiqing Kam" and other books, the size of some note in early Han Dynasty built-foot, some in the Qing Dynasty to create a scale , with the current meters, Shichi not the same, must be converted into the current size. Create a clear foot is equal to 310 mm foot, Han Jian-chu-foot foot together now only 230 mm. If this conversion is ignored. It will cause great misunderstanding, it is should pay particular attention.