Bronze mirrors have a unique meaning in ancient China, such as the famous? The second time? This allusion is related to bronze mirrors. In the early days, with the development of civilization in the Central Plains, the productivity of society has also been significantly improved. At that time, bronze mirrors appeared, but at that time, bronze mirrors were bronze mirrors. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, bronzes were very popular in China. Until the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, bronzes were the most common utensils in people's lives, and bronze mirrors were mainly made of them. With the appearance of metal utensils such as iron, great changes have taken place in people's daily necessities, and bronze mirrors have become popular. Since the Han dynasty, bronze mirrors have completely flowed into the people, and are no longer the exclusive items of early princes and nobles.
Since then, bronze mirrors have been the representative products of ancient mirrors. Until the Qianlong dynasty, with the rise of glass products, bronze mirrors gradually withdrew from the historical stage. Today, people no longer use bronze mirrors, but more use glass mirrors with better lighting. However, in the tombs of past dynasties, bronze mirrors can be seen in many famous collections, so many famous bronze mirrors in ancient times can be handed down, which provides great help for people to study ancient culture. So, for researchers, which period of bronze mirror is the most valuable? I think the bronze mirrors of the Han Dynasty should be the most valuable for research.
Which dynasty's bronze mirror is of high value?
First of all, the Qin and Han dynasties were an important node in the manufacture of bronze mirrors. Social productive forces were very developed at that time. People not only followed some methods of making bronze mirrors in the pre-Qin period, but also created many new methods, which greatly promoted the development of bronze mirrors. Of course, the value of bronze mirrors in Han dynasty is the highest, and the main factor is that the number of bronze mirrors unearthed in this period is the largest. Although the Han dynasty is far away from us now, it is really not easy to keep so many bronze mirrors, which can also reflect how developed the bronze mirror manufacturing industry in the Han dynasty is. In the Han Dynasty, the status of bronze mirrors also changed. From the initial aristocratic supplies to the people, more people can use bronze mirrors.
In fact, when it comes to manufacturing technology, there is still a gap between the bronze mirrors of Han Dynasty and Sui and Tang Dynasties. After all, the society is constantly developing, the culture of Sui and Tang Dynasties has reached its peak, and the manufacture of bronze mirrors is also very advanced, with the addition of metals such as copper and tin.
How about the bronze mirror in the Western Han Dynasty?
But I think the reason why the bronze mirror in Han Dynasty is so unique is that its identity is somewhat different. Early bronze mirrors were used as ritual vessels. In addition to looking in the mirror, in order to highlight the characteristics of the bronze mirror, people will continue to add some decorations to it and even add some inscriptions to the mirror. At that time, the characteristics of bronze mirrors were round, thin, flat and round buttons, and the decoration was stylized. However, bronze mirrors have not completely become people's daily necessities, and still maintain a noble position. Therefore, the research value of bronze mirrors in Han Dynasty is very high, and the workmanship is also very exquisite.
Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the manufacture of bronze mirrors has been in a downhill stage. In the Song and Ming Dynasties, the bronze mirrors were mostly based on the bronze mirrors of the Han Dynasty, which shows how high the bronze mirrors of the Han Dynasty were in the history of bronze mirrors. Because people in the Han Dynasty like rich funerals very much, most of the tombs in the Han Dynasty are very rich in funerary objects, and bronze mirrors are also the main funerary objects. Therefore, a large number of bronze mirrors of Han Dynasty can be found in Mawangdui tombs.
In addition to many technical features, decorative patterns and inscriptions on bronze mirrors in the Han Dynasty are also valuable. Some sacred animals or other auspicious patterns are often added to decorative patterns. As for inscriptions, some important events are often marked, which also provides us with a lot of research materials at that time. Moreover, according to these bronze mirrors of the Han Dynasty, we can better understand the history and culture of some pre-Qin and Qin and Han dynasties that are too far away from us.
Moreover, at that time, the official history books did not appear, many documents were too exaggerated, and reliable written evidence was very limited. Then a large number of bronze mirrors were unearthed in the Han Dynasty, which provided a lot of important information and helped us to understand the history at that time. But in terms of collection value, Han mirrors are not as good as Tang mirrors. Han mirrors are very common in today's collection. According to the survey, more than 80% of ancient mirrors are Han mirrors. After all, there are so many such mirrors unearthed that people can naturally buy more mirrors.
What is the level of production technology?
The production level of Tang mirror is very high, and the subject matter of the mirror is also rich. In addition, the number unearthed is very small. In the eyes of collectors, its collection value is naturally stronger than the popular Han mirror. An ancient mirror like this is something that people use or appreciate in their lives, not necessarily depending on its historical value. Therefore, collectors' requirements for the value of ancient mirrors are mainly in workmanship, and the better the workmanship, the more valuable the bronze mirror is.
However, the collection value is only a part of the value of ancient mirrors and cannot be used as a standard to measure the overall value. In different periods, the styles and workmanship of these ancient mirrors are naturally different. In a culturally developed dynasty like Han and Tang Dynasties, the value of their handicrafts at that time would be higher. Moreover, people later yearned for the Han and Tang Dynasties. Considering the popularity of these two dynasties, it will also bring certain points to the cultural relics unearthed at that time. Although the bronze mirror of Han Dynasty was earlier, it has high historical research value in terms of public awareness, workmanship and its own cultural implication. Therefore, the overall level of Han mirrors is the highest, and it is a good proof that so many Han mirrors can be preserved.
The development of ancient mirrors in China is not smooth sailing, but a trend of interruption. For example, it began to develop in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and reached a certain peak in the Qin and Han Dynasties. Results Due to the war at the end of Han Dynasty and the formation of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the manufacture and production of bronze mirrors were at a standstill. At that time, some production technologies of the Han dynasty were still being used, and there was no big breakthrough, and the cultural level was far less than that of the Han dynasty. After the end of Tang Dynasty, the value of bronze mirror itself changed, and people began to pay more attention to practicality in Song Dynasty.
The bronze mirror itself is used for lighting, even if it is decorative, it is enough to decorate some ordinary folk patterns. Therefore, in the later dynasties, the requirement for bronze mirrors was mainly practicality, which led to the mediocrity of bronze mirrors and no previous unique significance. The social culture in the Han and Tang Dynasties was obviously different from that in the Song and Ming Dynasties. After the war and national integration, many original cultures were interrupted, and few of them can be passed down. After the Song Dynasty, the status of bronze mirror was also declining, and it was officially replaced by glass mirror in the Qing Dynasty. With the development of the times, people's ideas are more and more advanced. Mirrors are just a daily necessities, and they also lose the significance of carrying culture.
Looking back on the previous culture, we can only look for it in some ancient mirrors. Some ancient scholars attached great importance to bronze mirrors, and many people wrote poems directly on the mirrors. Besides, bronze mirrors are often some women's personal belongings and can't be given to others casually. Some women take this as a token, which is also a symbolic object in their boudoir, so bronze mirrors are often related to some classic stories in some ancient literary works. Unfortunately, bronze mirrors are trapped in usage, and their functions are relatively simple, and their status and cultural value are not as high as porcelain. Besides, people will not pay so much attention to this kind of thing that favors women's products.
References:
Shi Shuo Xin Yu