Chinese Mirrors

Though uncommon until the Han dynasty, the Chinese made mirrors since the Neolithic period. Chinese mirrors are made from a bronze alloy rather than glass. This craft was developed primarily during the Han dynasty. Mirrors are cast with one flat side and one side decorated with intricate lines, symbols, and decorations surrounding a round knob in the middle. As time passed, the designs became less abstract and more figurative in their representation of motifs.

The technique used to create bronze mirrors in China during the Han dynasty also led to the development of the Chinese “Magic Mirror," also known as the “light-penetration” mirror due to its seemingly transparent quality. These bronze objects appeared to be perfectly smooth and mirror-like on one side, with a decoration on the other. However, when shown under a bright light like the sun, an image of the back decoration can be seen in the projection of the flat side.

Quick Facts

• The development of these mirrors greatly improved the lives of the Han Chinese. Prior to the invention of the bronze mirror, the Chinese would look into a basin full of water in order to see his or her reflection
• The reflection of the back image of the magic mirror onto a wall is created by subtle and small variations in the bronze surface that are undetectable by the naked eye, and can only be felt by a master magic mirror maker
• One of the earliest excavated bronze mirrors has been dated as far back as 2000 B.C.