Mirror with game board design and animals of the four directions

The back of this bronze mirror features designs referring to Chinese cosmology, and specifically the creator goddess Nüwa. According to one story, after a great flood, Nüwa and her brother, Fuxi, sculpted the first human beings from clay. Nüwa is typically depicted holding a compass thought to symbolize the round dome of the sky, while Fuxi holds a ruler symbolizing the square earth. Accordingly, art historians argue that the square at the center of this mirror represents the earth, while the circle around it is the heavens. The “T,” “L,” and “V” shaped markings evoke the measuring devices associated with Nüwa and Fuxi. These markings also appear on the ancient Chinese board game of Liubo, implying an association between creation, measurement, and games of chance.

Mirror