Mirror with Directional Pattern
100-2000
Physical Qualities
Metal alloy, 4 1/2 Diam. x 1/2 D in. (11.4 x 1.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Frank J. and Elizabeth L. Goodnow Collection
Object Number
1942.70.60
The diagram on the back of this mirror depicts the Chinese cosmos. The round mountain at the center of the universe and the square earth represent the dynamic opposites of yang and yin, heaven and earth. The mirror’s decoration may have been intended to guide the soul on its journey to the afterlife. It depicts an immortal with the dragon of the East, snake-and-turtle warrior of the North, bird of the South, tiger of the West, and other powerful animals like a bear, deer, and winged horse.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 1942; Goodnow Collection, Baltimore; probably acquired by Elizabeth Goodnow in China, c. 1912-1913
Frances Klapthor, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "90 Years of Asian Accessions: 1940-1960," (Goodnow, Riggs of J, Cone, Chinese & Japanese Dolls), January-November 2005.
Frances Klapthor, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Chinese Mortuary Ceramics from the Collection," December 2008-December 2009.
Collection installation, "Asia. Tombs across China: Han Dynasty & Later," Levy Gallery, Baltimore Museum of Art, October 5, 2023-
Frances Klapthor, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Chinese Mortuary Ceramics from the Collection," December 2008-December 2009.
Collection installation, "Asia. Tombs across China: Han Dynasty & Later," Levy Gallery, Baltimore Museum of Art, October 5, 2023-
On View at the BMA
