The Minneapolis Institute of Arts artsmia.org - Museum Home Page
History & Maps
Buddhism
Explore the Collection
Comments
Mirror
Title:Mirror
Artist:Artist Unknown
Date:Koryo dynasty
Creation Place:Asia, Korea
Credit Line:Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.
Accession Number:76.72.25
Finely cast bronze mirrors were a standard luxury good among aristocratic men and women. While the fronts were polished to achieve a reflective surface, the backs were cast in decorative relief and organized around a central domed eyelet to accommodate a cord. As magical solar disks, they were also frequently placed in tombs in the belief that they could illuminate the darkness for the spirit of the deceased.