In the collection of cultural relics in the Jinhua City Museum, there is a small bronze mirror, which is different and very precious.
This bronze mirror of the Western Jin Dynasty, the mirror pattern depicts the scene of Confucius and his disciples sitting around lecturing, and is the only bronze mirror found in the country that reflects the prosperity of Confucianism at that time through the mirror pattern, which is very rare.
Its excavation not only provides valuable historical data for the study of ancient bronze mirrors, but also has important historical value for the study of the politics, economy and culture of Jinhua during the Six Dynasties period.
In 1992, it was rated as a national first-class cultural relic.
So, what kind of bronze mirror is this?
The bronze mirror of the Western Jin Dynasty caused a sensation as soon as it was unearthed
Xu Wei, director of jinhua city museum, introduced that this bronze mirror of the Western Jin Dynasty was excavated in 1976. At that time, the local cultural relics staff cleaned up thirteen ancient tombs of the Six Dynasties in the gufang brick and tile factory 15 kilometers away from Jinhua city, and the bronze mirror of Confucius's disciples was found in one of the Western Jin tombs.
This bronze mirror of Confucius disciples in the Western Jin Dynasty is 16 cm in diameter and 0.4 cm thick. Mirror round, plain narrow rim, edge upturned, hemispherical button, round button seat. The outer ornamental area of the seat is an extended four-leaf, symmetrically distributed on the four sides of the button seat, and one person in the interior of each leaf,
And the inscriptions were written in subtractive characters: "Disciple Zigong", "Disciple Yan Yuan", "Disciple Zhongyou", "Sage (Confucius)".
As a major feature of the Han Six Dynasties mirror inscription, the minus pen is often used in the bronze mirror of story portraits. A closer look at this mirror shows four people sitting in the leaf, with their hands held high, their lines concise and their images vivid. Each leaf is also decorated with double phoenix and pine cypress motifs to show the purity and elegance of the saints. There is also an inscription on the outside of the pattern for a week, which is "Zi Ugly Yin 卯辰巳巳午未申酉戌海".
In turn, there are ctenophores and serrated stripes. As soon as it was unearthed, this bronze mirror of the Western Jin Dynasty portrait caused a sensation in the academic circles because of its special ornamentation and artistic modeling.
Why did this bronze mirror cause a sensation in the academic community? What's so unique about it?
Zhejiang is an important producer of ancient copper mirrors on the mainland, and many exquisitely made six-dynasty bronze mirrors have been unearthed. Among them, as one of the important types, the number of story portrait mirrors is relatively small, and its theme is prominent and clear and has attracted the attention of the world.
The story portrait bronze mirror rose to the late eastern Han Dynasty and declined in the Three Kingdoms, and its unique thematic mirror pattern and inscription became an important basis for the dating of cultural relics.
"The art decoration and inscription of the story portrait bronze mirror are very rich in themes, and they are important materials for studying the politics, economy, ideology and culture and social life of that time."
Xu Wei introduced that since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented the practice of "deposing hundreds of families and respecting Confucianism alone", Confucianism has gradually become the ruling ideology of society.
Therefore, a major theme of the bronze mirror patterns and inscriptions of the Han and Six Dynasties is to reflect the Confucian thought and moral code advocated by the Han Dynasty.
Among them, the portrait mirrors of Wu Wang and Wu Zixu, which embody "loyalty", and the inscription mirrors related to "filial piety" are the most common.
"This bronze mirror of the disciple can be said to use an almost straightforward theme to reflect the important position of Confucianism, and then to promote the Chinese tradition of emphasizing literature and religion." Xu Wei said.
"Through the scene of Confucius and his disciples sitting around and lecturing, it is rare in the country to praise the achievements of Confucius, and this content is used as a mirror pattern to reflect the current prosperity of Confucianism."
Below, we popularize the history of the use of copper mirrors:
The earliest known bronze mirror on the mainland,
It is a seven-pointed star-patterned bronze mirror excavated from the Qi family culture more than 4,000 years ago and was excavated from the chest of the owner of the tomb.
It shows that the nobility of the Neolithic Era has begun to stink and be beautiful, otherwise how can the bronze mirror be buried in the tomb?
A seven-pointed star-patterned bronze mirror unearthed by the Qi family culture
A bronze mirror was also found in the tomb of The Shang King Wuding's wife, Nuhao, as a testimony to the love between Wuding and the woman, and was buried after death.
Similar to the Qi family culture, the back of the bronze mirror mirror in the Shang Dynasty is mostly geometric patterns, with seven-pointed star patterns, parallel lines, leaf vein patterns, multi-circle convex string patterns, etc., as well as plain mirrors.
However, the tin content of copper mirrors in this period is low, and the alloy composition of bronze is not stable and rough.
Most of the bronze mirrors of the Zhou Dynasty are plain mirrors, which can be seen from the bronze mirrors excavated from the ancient tomb group of Yuguo in Shangling Village, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province.
A bronze mirror excavated from the tomb of the Shang Dynasty women
The Warring States period was the first peak period of development of the mainland copper mirror, which was mainly popular in the romantic ancient Chu land.
Is this because since ancient times, southerners have lived more exquisitely and exquisitely than northerners, loved to feed themselves and paid more attention to appearance? Not all of them.
During the Warring States period, copper ore was found in many places in the south, which became a necessary condition for the production of a large number of copper mirrors.
In addition, with the improvement of productivity, the copper-tin ratio is more scientific,
Making the ornamentation of the mirror back of this period more diverse,
Colorful ornaments such as dragon patterns, cockroach patterns, diamond patterns, animal patterns, and four-leaf patterns appear.
Warring States four-leaf pattern bronze mirror, Taizhou Museum collection
The two Han Dynasties became the prosperous period of the bronze mirror.
The bronze mirrors of this period are not only lighter and more practical than the bronze mirrors of the Warring States period.
Most of them form a quartile layout with four milk nails as the base point, and strictly emphasize symmetry.
The theme of ornamentation is more clear, complex but not chaotic, more appear Inbo mirror (also known as the rule mirror), four god mirror and other patterns, the mirror back inscription is popular, and more auspicious language, becoming a symbol of a good moon and a reunion.
At the same time, black lacquer has become an important feature in judging the bronze mirror of the Han Dynasty.
In addition to the round bronze mirror, rectangular mirrors also appeared during this period,
For example, the bronze square mirror excavated from the tomb of King Qi in Shandong Province weighs 56.5 kg,
It became an important witness to the economic prosperity of the State of Qi during the Western Han Dynasty.
Western Han Dynasty four-breast nail nebula mirror
The Western Han Dynasty Four Gods And Twelve Chenbo Bureau Mirrors
Western Han Dynasty inscription mirror, "See the light of the sun, long do not forget", Shandong Museum collection
Western Han Dynasty inscription mirror, Shandong Museum collection
"Qingzhi Tonghua thought it was a mirror, zhaocha clothes looked at the appearance, qingguang yi beautiful person"
Guobo Tibetan Western Han Dynasty "China Daning" gilded bronze mirror
The Zibo Museum in Shandong Province holds a bronze square mirror of the tomb of King Qi
It is the largest bronze mirror unearthed in the mainland
The mirror is 115.1 cm long, 57.5 cm wide and weighs 56.5 kg
During the Three Kingdoms Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Southern and Northern Dynasties became the middle decay of the bronze mirror.
The division of the country and the decline of the economy have caused a sharp decline in copper production,
This is especially evident in the north, when Cao Wei appeared in bronze mirrors with the inscription "Bit to Three Gongs" on the back of the mirror, which was particularly popular in the Western Jin Dynasty;
The situation in the southern region is relatively stable, the bronze mirror casting is prosperous, and the Sun Wu region is popular with the sacred beast mirror and the Buddha statue mirror.
The appearance of iron mirrors in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Sixteen Kingdoms and the early Southern and Northern Dynasties made the bronze mirrors gradually replace.
Gu Kaizhi's "Female Shi Zhentu" of the Eastern Jin Dynasty appears in the picture of a beautiful person grooming the mirror
"Bit to Sangong" mirror, inscription read clockwise, Xinxiang City Museum collection
The Sui and Tang dynasties became a period of high development of copper mirrors in the history of the mainland.
The bronze mirrors of this period not only have many forms and lively patterns,
There are flower and bird mirrors, tuanhua mirrors, rui beast and bird mirrors, four gods and twelve zodiac mirrors, character mirrors, panlong mirrors, Bagua mirrors, swastika mirrors, etc.
There are also special craft mirrors, such as gold and silver flat off-mirrors, gold-backed rui beast grape mirrors, which are both practical and artistic.
Tang Siluan's silk gold and silver flat mirror, Shaanxi History Museum collection
Gold and silver flat mirror is a special haute couture luxury of the Tang Dynasty nobles, which is not enjoyed by ordinary people.
In the Tang Dynasty, the emperor only rewarded the officials with four or more pins of gold and silver.
Therefore, having such a bronze mirror has become a symbol of status and status, and has also become a witness to the friendship between the monarch and the subject.
It seems that it is really a family fortune, not as good as this little copper mirror!
Tang Dynasty lacquer-backed gold and silver flat off octagonal mirror, Inuyasha, Nara Prefecture, Japan
Another luxury luxury unique to the Tang Dynasty is the gold back mirror.
For example, the Xi'an Museum has a gold-backed rui beast grape mirror, and the shape and craftsmanship are first-class.
Tang Dynasty golden-backed beast grape mirror, xi'an museum collection
In the early Tang Dynasty, Gao Jifu was an official who was just and upright, and Emperor Taizong once rewarded him with a golden back mirror to commend him for his integrity and integrity.
Since then, "Mirror Hanging High" has not only become a plaque often hung in the public hall, but also a popular gift for the whole people.
Presumably, everyone has heard Taizong's most famous statement: "If people use copper as a mirror, they can wear a crown; with the ancient as a mirror, they can know the rise and fall; and if they take people as a mirror, they can see the gains and losses." ”
Tang Taizong once lamented after the death of his advisor Wei Zheng: "When Wei Zheng went, I was like losing a bronze mirror!" It is enough to illustrate the importance of copper mirrors to the ancients.
Tang Si LingRui Beast Bagua Pattern Yangzhou made copper mirror
Tang Dynasty cloud dragon pattern River heart mirror
Ming Dynasty's "Thousand Autumns of Brilliant Pictures" of "Xue Ji Linjing Photo Map", Guobo Collection