Sea Beast Grape Mirror

Sea beast and grape mirror, copper, Tang Dynasty cultural relic, diameter 19.9 cm, weight 1.65 kg, transferred to Henan Museum by Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Team in June 1954.

Round mirror. Flat front. There is a crouching beast button in the center of the back, and the back of the mirror is divided into two areas, inner and outer, by a convex high ridge. In the inner area, six auspicious beasts are alternately carved in high relief, playing around the button, leaning forward or backward, and looking naive; grapes are dotted between the auspicious beasts, with grape branches and leaves entwined, and the fruits are full. The grape branches and leaves cross the cross beam and spread to the outer area. In the outer area, auspicious beasts and birds of different forms alternately appear and disappear among the grape branches and leaves, and the edge is decorated with a circle of overlapping cloud patterns, and the edges are rolled up.

The mirror is large in shape, exquisite in craftsmanship, and rich and vivid in decoration. The back of the mirror adopts a full-flowered composition, using high relief expression techniques, with auspicious beasts or phoenix beasts and grape branches and vines as the decoration theme, which is detailed and redundant. The auspicious beasts climb on the branches of grapes in different postures, or play between the leaves and fruits of grapes, with full images and dynamics; and the grape vines break the constraints of the circular frame, climb over the boundary beam from the inner area to the outer area, entangle with the grape vines in the outer area, and connect with the phoenix birds decorated in the outer area. The mirror button is transformed from the traditional round shape to a vivid auspicious beast shape. Although the entire mirror decoration of this sea beast grape mirror is divided into different areas, the decorative patterns are integrated, radiating and winding from the center to the periphery. The auspicious beast mirror button in the center is in a static crawling state, which looks solid and stable, while the auspicious beasts in the mirror pattern run and jump, and the light postures of the phoenix birds or bees and butterflies appearing on the periphery, the visual flow spreads from the center to the periphery, and the whole picture presents a sense of infinite extension of space.

The patterns of the Sea Beast and Grape Mirror record the prosperity and eclecticism of Tang Dynasty art and culture with unique graphic form and design language. It also expresses the ancient Chinese people's wishes for a better life and the simple pursuit of beauty. It is of great value for the study of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors, metal casting technology, etc., so the Sea Beast and Grape Mirror is usually regarded as the representative of Tang mirrors.