Changsha, one of the centers for casting mirrors in the Warring States Period
2023-03-03
Even regardless of artistic value, bronze mirrors are unique in the history of artifacts. Bronze, as the material used in the early days of mankind, has long been out of the mainstream of daily utensils, while bronze mirrors have continued the brilliance of that era, extending the temperament of bronze to the modern society a hundred years ago.
The principle of the mirror is not complicated, but the evolution is super slow.
The principle of mirror is not complicated, and optical reflection imaging is its basic principle. However, the materials that are really suitable for reflection are very limited.
The earliest material was water, but the use effect of water was obviously not very good. Later, there were mirrors made of obsidian, and the effect was also conceivable. So after entering the Bronze Age, people polished bronze into a smooth surface to form a bronze mirror with acceptable effect.
Bronze mirrors are ancient objects. The earliest bronze mirror found in China is the seven-corner star-shaped bronze mirror unearthed in Gamatai Site in Guinan County of Qinghai Province, with a history of more than 4,000 years.
In foreign countries, bronze mirrors unearthed in Egypt date back to 3,000 BC, with a history of more than 5,000 years. Both at home and abroad, bronze mirrors were used for a long time.
In Venice, known as the Kingdom of Glass in the world, people added manganese dioxide to colored glass and invented transparent glass, but the transparent glass could not reflect light at all. They combined smooth and flat metal and transparent glass to make the prototype of glass mirrors.
With transparent glass, glass craftsmen began to explore ways to make mirrors from glass.
In 1508, a practical glass mirror was developed by the Italian glass craftsmen. They first pasted the tin foil on the glass surface, and then poured the mercury. The mercury dissolved the tin and formed a layer of alloy called “tin amalgam”, which adhered to the glass surface and became a real glass mirror.
The most prominent bronzes in Hunan are bronze mirrors.
In the “Glorious History and Culture of Ancient Changsha City” of Changsha Museum, bronze mirrors are artifacts that appeared in almost every era. And the museum has set up an independent exhibition area for them.
Hunan’s Bronze Age is later than the core hinterland of Chinese civilization. Although there are many pieces of bronze ware unearthed, like the Square Vessel (Fang Zun) with Four Rams, the rag statue and the large bronze cymbal with the elephant pattern, the number of bronze ware in Hunan Province is on the whole far smaller than that in the Central Plains in terms of quantity and category.
Bronze mirrors are ancient objects. The earliest bronze mirror found in China is the seven-corner star-shaped bronze mirror unearthed in Gamatai Site in Guinan County of Qinghai Province, with a history of more than 4,000 years.
In foreign countries, bronze mirrors unearthed in Egypt date back to 3,000 BC, with a history of more than 5,000 years. Both at home and abroad, bronze mirrors were used for a long time.
What is the reason why the bronze mirror continued to modern times with its shape unchanged? In the final analysis, it is the technical reason.
For thousands of years after the bronze mirror appeared, human beings had not found a more suitable substitute, so it lasted until the 14th century.
For thousands of years after the bronze mirror appeared, human beings had not found a more suitable substitute, so it lasted until the 14th century.
In Venice, known as the Kingdom of Glass in the world, people added manganese dioxide to colored glass and invented transparent glass, but the transparent glass could not reflect light at all. They combined smooth and flat metal and transparent glass to make the prototype of glass mirrors.
With transparent glass, glass craftsmen began to explore ways to make mirrors from glass.
In 1508, a practical glass mirror was developed by the Italian glass craftsmen. They first pasted the tin foil on the glass surface, and then poured the mercury. The mercury dissolved the tin and formed a layer of alloy called “tin amalgam”, which adhered to the glass surface and became a real glass mirror.
After three hundred years, the German chemist Justus von Liebig invented the chemical silver plating method, which made the glass mirror really popular. The bronze mirror gradually disappeared from the stage.
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In China, the historical process of the replacement of bronze mirrors is even later.The most prominent bronzes in Hunan are bronze mirrors.
In the “Glorious History and Culture of Ancient Changsha City” of Changsha Museum, bronze mirrors are artifacts that appeared in almost every era. And the museum has set up an independent exhibition area for them.
Hunan’s Bronze Age is later than the core hinterland of Chinese civilization. Although there are many pieces of bronze ware unearthed, like the Square Vessel (Fang Zun) with Four Rams, the rag statue and the large bronze cymbal with the elephant pattern, the number of bronze ware in Hunan Province is on the whole far smaller than that in the Central Plains in terms of quantity and category.
Just in the middle of the Warring States Period, when the arts and crafts of large bronze sacrificial vessels began to decline, the bronze mirror casting industry rose abruptly.
In the Warring States Period, Changsha became a nationwide center for manufacturing bronze mirrors. The Chu-style mirror made in Changsha became one of the two major bronze mirror schools during the period.
The scale of bronze mirrors unearthed in Hunan is spectacular.
According to Wu Xiaoyan, deputy director and an associate research librarian of the Ancient Artifacts Research and Exhibition Center of Hunan Museum, over 1,000 bronze mirrors have been found during the Warring States Period, especially the State of Chu in the south.
Secondly, in combination with archaeological findings, large-scale mining or smelting copper sites have been found in such places as Jiangxi’s Ruichang, Southern Anhui and Hunan’s Mayang.
Therefore, it’s generally believed that this is probably an important reason for the popularity of bronze mirrors in the State of Chu. Although efforts are still needed to explain why bronze mirrors enjoyed high popularity after the middle of the Warring States Period, it is clear that the bronze mirrors made in Hunan displayed the most excellent bronze craft at that time.
In the Warring States Period, Changsha became a nationwide center for manufacturing bronze mirrors. The Chu-style mirror made in Changsha became one of the two major bronze mirror schools during the period.
The scale of bronze mirrors unearthed in Hunan is spectacular.
According to Wu Xiaoyan, deputy director and an associate research librarian of the Ancient Artifacts Research and Exhibition Center of Hunan Museum, over 1,000 bronze mirrors have been found during the Warring States Period, especially the State of Chu in the south.
Statistics show that since 1951, nearly 2,000 Chu tombs have been excavated in Hunan, and more than 480 bronze mirrors have been unearthed. Both quantity and quality are better than those of Jiangling, the capital of the State of Chu. Changsha is likely to be one of the centers for casting mirrors in the State of Chu.
There are two reasons. Firstly, there are many records about the bronze production in the south in the ancient books.
Secondly, in combination with archaeological findings, large-scale mining or smelting copper sites have been found in such places as Jiangxi’s Ruichang, Southern Anhui and Hunan’s Mayang.
Therefore, it’s generally believed that this is probably an important reason for the popularity of bronze mirrors in the State of Chu. Although efforts are still needed to explain why bronze mirrors enjoyed high popularity after the middle of the Warring States Period, it is clear that the bronze mirrors made in Hunan displayed the most excellent bronze craft at that time.
