The Allure of the Mirror

In Han China (202 BCE–220 CE), few luxury objects were as widely coveted as bronze mirrors. Typically circular and ranging from seven to thirty centimeters in diameter, these mirrors were crafted from high-tin bronze, with highly reflective surfaces on the front and intricate designs and auspicious inscriptions on the reverse. The Allure of the Mirror explores how and why these objects, historically known as haowu (“fine things”), became so beloved throughout early imperial China. Tracing their