唐 真子飛霜故事鏡|Mirror with immortal and phoenix in a landscape

Unknown

late 8th century · Bronze · Asian Art

This mirror depicts an auspicious landscape. To the left, a gentleman wearing a crown sits on a leopard skin strumming a zither (qin) beside a bamboo grove. Before him is a low table set with implements. Opposite the gentleman, a phoenix is perched upon a rock. Between them is a pond ringed with ornamental rocks. A single lotus stalk rises from the middle of the pond, supporting a turtle—a symbol of longevity—on its leaf. A crane—another symbol of longevity—flies toward a pair of trees. In the distance, what may be the sun appears to be setting below cloud-wreathed distant mountains—suggestive of a western paradise.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 8th century

Medium

Bronze

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 2008