Mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions

7th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 207

The four mythological creatures depicted on this mirror refer to symbols of the cardinal directions: the green dragon of the east, white tiger of the west, red bird of the south, and entwined black snake and tortoise of the north. These associations emerged in Chinese cosmology around the third century BCE and became firmly established in the following centuries. A long inscription encircling the animals, elegantly calligraphed in relief, illustrates a critical phase in the development of Chinese writing, when the regular script attained its standard form.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

隋四神紋銅w
Title: Mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions
Period: Sui (581–618)–Tang (618–907) dynasty
Date: 7th century
Culture: China
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: Diam. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)
Classification: Mirrors
Credit Line: Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions Fund for Asian Art, 2022
Object Number: 2022.151
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Buddha Maitreya (Mile) Altarpiece, Gilt bronze, China — Buddha Maitreya (Mile) Altarpiece
China
dated 524 (5th year of Zhengguang reign)

Dish in the shape of a leaf, Silver with parcel gilding, China — Dish in the shape of a leaf
China
late 7th–early 8th century

Stem cup, Gold with repoussé decoration, China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia) — Stem cup
China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia)
8th century

Vishnu Flanked by His Personified Attributes, Bronze, India (Bihar) — Vishnu Flanked by His Personified Attributes
India (Bihar)
early 9th century

Enthroned Buddha Attended by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani, Bronze, Indonesia (Java) — Enthroned Buddha Attended by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani
Indonesia (Java)
second half of the 10th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.