Bronze mirror
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Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan central Italy to China.
Bronze mirrors were produced in Europe during the Bronze Age. Notable examples include the Birdlip mirror.
Bronze mirrors were produced in China from neolithic times until the Qing Dynasty, when western glass mirrors were brought to China. Bronze mirrors were always circular with one side polished bright, to give a reflection, and the reverse side with designs. They often had a knob in the center so that they could be attached to clothing.
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[edit] History
[edit] China
Some of the earliest examples of Chinese bronze mirrors belonged to the Neolithic Qijia culture from around 2000 BCE. However, until Warring States times, bronze mirrors were not common with approximately only 20 having been discovered. During the Warring States period, mirrors became particularly popular. It was during the Han Dynasty, and the introduction of the TLV mirror, that mirrors started to be mass-produced. Both Han and Tang mirrors are considered to be the most technically advanced. Bronze mirrors continued to remain popular up through the Song Dynasty, but then gradually lost their popularity and ceased to be produced after the arrival of Western mirrors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
[edit] Europe
In Europe, bronze mirrors have been discovered from various places, including Britain and Italy. Etruscan mirrors were produced from between the sixth and second centuries BCE. Celtic mirrors in Britain were produced up until the Roman conquest.
[edit] See also
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