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Cruciform Mirror with Six Blossoms
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This cross-shaped mirror has a simple wide frame and a small knob. A part of the floral pattern surrounding the knob has been compromised, likely due to poor casting or damage. The mirror is decorated with designs of flower branches and leaves, which encapsulate six flowers. A few of these branches protrude beyond the beaded circular border to touch the edge of the outer circle, adding a playful dynamism. Similar motifs can be found on silver objects and porcelain of this period.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCruciform Mirror with Six Blossoms (亞字形纏枝六花鏡), 960–1127. China, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Bronze; overall: 0.7 x 16.5 cm (1/4 x 6 1/2 in.); rim: 0.4 cm (3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee, 1999.222
