The World in a Mirror

By staff reporter HUO JIANYING

Song Dynasty (960-1279) waterchestnut flower-shaped mirror engraved with a picture of a ship sailing the ocean.

Today, the idea of gazing at one's reflection in a pot of water when applying cosmetics seems ludicrous, but 3,000 years ago there was no alternative. The vessel used to hold "mirror" water was a jian, and the character for it symbolizing a person looking down into a basin of water. The jian was first made of clay, and later of bronze.

The first Chinese mirrors were bronze, and remained so for centuries. One bronze mirror unearthed in the Yin Ruins Fuhao Tomb, Henan Province is believed to be more than 3,200 years old. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that glass mirrors superseded those of bronze.

Over the past 3,000 years, mirrors have become more than just a grooming aid. They connote aspects of Chinese culture and philosophy, and indicate the aspirations of Chinese antecedents. One ancient bronze mirror bears the inscriptions "A beam of divine light illuminates ten thousand years," another "Kept for ten thousand years and over a thousand generations; can be used to light and reflect by sons and grandsons."

The General Mirror for the Rule of Government

Ancient painting of a lady dressing her hair in front of the mirror.

In 643, Tang Dynasty official Wei Zheng, renowned for his integrity and candor, died. Wei Zheng was fortunate to have lived during the reign of Emperor Li Shimin, a time of prosperity and enlightenment. Li Shimin's encouragement of free expression and willingness to heed others' opinions made him one of China's greatest emperors.

First appointed grand master of remonstrance, Wei Zheng had no fear of speaking his mind, and put the interests of the people above all else. He continued to be outspoken and censorious as prime minister. Wei carried out detailed research into the rise and fall of previous dynasties, recording his experience and the conclusions he had drawn from it in a piece of work he called The General Mirror for the Rule of Government. In it he gave Emperor Li Shimin invaluable strategic advice, such as "Think of danger in times of safety," "Abstain from extravagance and live frugally," and "Reduce tax, rents and corvee labor." According to historical documents, he raised over 200 suggestions in the course of his life, and on his death was found to have work in progress a report on personnel management.

Emperor Li Shimin was so grieved at Wei's demise that he did not hold court for five days. On eventually appearing he told his officials: "A mirror of bronze lets one adjust one's cap; using antiquity as a mirror helps one learn how to foresee the rise and fall of empires; people used as a mirror make one aware of gain and loss. I owned three mirrors that helped me to avoid making mistakes. But now that Wei Zheng is dead, I have only two." 

The mirror may have been a source of inspiration to the emperor as to his governance of the state, but to the common people it had another, more emotional significance.

Mirrors and Connubial Reunions

Song hand mirror engraved with the double phoenix motif.

In the late 6th century, in an attempt to unify China the Sui Dynasty waged a series of wars on its neighboring states. In 589 waterborne troops under the command of Marshal Yang Su bore down on Nanjing, and the city residents fled in their thousands. Before escaping from their palace, Princess Le Chang and her husband Xu Deyan broke a bronze mirror in two and each kept half. They made a pact that in the event they should be separated they would each take their half to the local bazaar during the Lantern Festival. In the ensuing chaos of the city's fall, the couple indeed lost each other. Princess Le Chang was captured by Sui soldiers and presented to Marshal Yang Su as his concubine.

At the Lantern Festival the following year Xu took his half of the mirror to the bazaar in the hope of finding his wife. Just as he was becoming desperate, he spotted a servant holding the broken half of a mirror, and on approaching him and finding that the two halves matched, discovered his wife's fate. In pain and despair he wrote on his wife's half of mirror: "Both the person and the mirror left. The mirror returned but not the person. My lady is gone, leaving me only the moonlight."

The servant brought the mirror inscribed with this poem back to the princess. She was distraught at the knowledge that her husband had been looking for her and that they might never see each other again. She wept for days, arousing great consternation in Marshal Yang to whom she was now married. On hearing their story, Marshal Yang Suwas touched by this devoted couple, and taking pity on them decided to let them reunite. On rejoining her husband Le Chang went with Xu Deyan to southern China where they started a new life.

This story was later summarized in the phrase "a broken mirror joined together," indicating the happy reunion of a husband and wife after an enforced separation.

Painted Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-25 A.D.) bronze mirror with horse and carriage design.

In ancient China a bronze mirror was thus a love token, and a funeral object whose purpose was to signify a love that carried on into the afterworld. In ancient times it was believed that the soul lived on after death, but that as a person made their way to the netherworld they were forced to drink a potion that wiped out all memory of events in their lifetime. Devoted couples hence each held halves of a mirror at their funeral, so that on entering the afterworld they could meet, match their halves and resume their life together.

Whole and half mirrors have been found in ancient tombs, one half recently having been excavated from a Tang tomb in Yushan County, Jiangxi Province. In May 2003 in Huaining County, Anhui Province, two halves of a bronze mirror were unearthed from two Tang tombs just three meters apart. On being put together, they formed a whole mirror of complementary patterns and inscriptions. Archeologists are convinced that the tombs were the resting place of a devoted couple.

The Mirror and a Just and Incorruptible Official

According to Chinese mythology, Emperor Qin Shihuang owned a magic bronze mirror that could reflect the workings of the mind, thereby discerning the upright from the treacherous. "As clear as water and as honest as a mirror" was thus the highest compliment payable to an official in feudal times. On the wall of any government office was always hung a horizontal wooden plaque inscribed: "Clear Mirror Hung on High" or "Qin Mirror Hung on High," denoting the fairness, integrity and keen perception of the official concerned. At a time when superstition was endemic, this tale, and the fear of gods and ghosts it inspired was intended to inhibit corruption and ill deeds. But conscientious performance of official duty was and is achieved simply through self-discipline. When Tang Dynasty official Feng Lulian was offered the gift of a bronze mirror by his friend, he demurred, telling his subordinates: "As an official, I am entitled only to my salary. What right have I to accept gifts privately?" He later wrote an epigram: Clear water shows the bottom, a clean mirror reflects the heart; I will thus perform my duty."

Liao (907-1125) mirror with coin motif.

Another mention of mirrors is recorded in connection with Lü Mengzheng, prime minister during the reign of Song Emperor Zhenzong (998-1022). One junior official had a special mirror in which could be seen reflections from as far as 200 li (2 li=1 kilometer) away. He decided to send it to Lu. On hearing of this from his brother, Lü laughed and joked:" My face is only the size of a plate. What need have I for a mirror to see 200 li away?"    

Despite the intended deterrent imposed by the "Clear Mirror Hung on High," corrupt and malfeasant officials were a common feature of imperial courts throughout history. Mirrors did not restrain or inhibit those determined to flout the law for personal gain, but Chinese ancestors loved them nonetheless. To them the mirror was far more than a tool to reflect the image; it symbolized the soul's divine light. Mirrors hence have particular significance within the Chinese psyche.

Fragment of a Bronze Mirror Casting When casting a bronze mirror the first step was to make a clay mold in two parts and fuse them together. Each part held a cavity into which smelted bronze was poured. On the bronze liquid cooling off and solidifying, the outer clay was removed and the mirror finished off. Its back was decorated with patterns and inscriptions with a knot at the center incorporating a ring through which a rope could be strung. The mold for the front mirror cavity was very smooth, and generally concave.  Materials Bronze is a mixture of copper, lead and tin, proportions of which varied throughout history. It was not standardized until the Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 220). The proportions were then fixed at 60-70 percent copper, 23-25 percent tin and 4-6 percent lead. Processing After being cast the mirror was polished with a mixture of azoth and tin powder. This process would be repeated after the mirror had become dim from long use. Shape Most mirrors were round, but they were also square, waterchestnut flower-shaped, octagonal or in the shape of bell. Some had handles. Size Ancient bronze mirrors came in various sizes. The smallest were 3 to 8 centimeters wide, and worn as pendants from the waist. Medium sized mirrors were 10 to 40 centimeters wide, and were hand held, standing, or hung on a wall. The largest were of 40 centimeters or more wide. In 1980 a 115-cm-long, 57-cm-wide giant bronze mirror was unearthed in Zibo, Shandong Province. Quaint Bronze Mirrors 1. Concave mirrors These were used in ancient China to light fires by concentrating sunlight, hence their name yangsui. 2. Light-penetrating mirrors Superficially these mirrors looked no different from any other, but on reflecting sunlight they projected the designs and inscriptions on their back. They first appeared in the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago, and remained an enigma until the Song Dynasty, when scientist Shen Kuo (1031-1095) discovered their secret. As the designs on the back made the thickness of these mirrors vary, on being cast they did not simultaneously cool down. This caused visible traces of the design. When they reflected sunlight, the design on the back of the mirror was thus apparent.