Wang Mang period (AD 9-23
Diameter I9. I cm
Donated item

This round jing mirror has a spherical knob, and a round knob stand. The interior of the face is decorated with 12 nipple designs, each next to one of 12 inscribed chen (辰) characters(one of the 12 earthly branches of Chinese cosmology).

The area outside the central portion of the mirror features boju geometric designs, with the space between these lines filled with bird, beast and nipple patterns. The outer edge of the mirror features a circular inscription. The broad rim of the mirror is decorated with triangle and wave patterns.

This is the most popular kind of jing mirror from the interval between the Western and Eastern Han. Its fine casting work and elaborate and detailed decoration reflect the connoisseurship and high technical competence of this period. The inscription was not only believed to have the power to dispel ill fortune, it also articulates the doctrines of divination, five phases, Yin and Yang, and conceptions of immortality that flourished during the brief Wang Mang era shortly after the Western Han. Thus, the text is essential to our understanding of the periodisation and the title applied to the boju jing.