Because the front of ancient bronze mirrors is just like the front of modern mirrors, it is used for reflection. Basically, most bronze mirrors are like this, so the front has no specificity and does not attract the audience. "Aspect", so generally speaking, when museums choose to display bronze mirrors, they will display the back instead of the front. Posted below is a restored bronze mirror from the Zhouyuan Museum Cultural Relics Reproduction Factory
The front of the bronze mirror
The ancient bronze mirrors we can see now, if the front wants to achieve the effect of letting light shine on people, it must This can only be achieved after certain processes. That is, after the bronze mirror is cast, a layer of tin amalgam must be attached to the front, and then polished with white mirror, so that the effect of using copper as a mirror to correct clothes and crowns can finally be achieved. Most of the bronze mirrors that have been handed down have poor preservation conditions on the front, so most museums will not display the front when they are on display.
China is one of the earliest countries in the world to use bronze mirrors. It has been used for thousands of years from the Xia and Shang Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Bronze mirrors have read all the joys and sorrows of the world, the love of children, etiquette, justice and shame, and the climate of the world. It has witnessed the vicissitudes of history, the changes of the times and the inheritance of culture.
The so-called "reunion of broken mirrors" means that in ancient times, couples would cut a mirror in half, and after death, each half would be buried beside the body. The ancients would carve exquisite decorations and inscriptions on the back of the mirror. , a small square inch contains full of love and good wishes, so the back of the bronze mirror often has more cultural and aesthetic value.
According to legend, there is a secret method for making mirrors in ancient times, and the Yin-Yang Mirror is one of them. It can illuminate the evil spirits in the world and make them unable to escape. It can also illuminate people's minds and distinguish between good and evil.
There is also a kind of bronze mirror, whose name cannot be named, but it is said that it can capture people's souls and hold them in the mirror. Later generations compiled it into a story and spread it, but there are not so many legends in this world, and they basically all have their origins.
The front has been corroded over time
The main function of the ancient bronze mirror was that it was used by the ancients to look at their faces and groom themselves. The fronts of bronze mirrors at that time were polished very brightly. Although they were not as clear as glass mirrors and crystal mirrors, the basic appearance could still be seen.
We all know that the main material of ancient bronze mirrors is metallic copper. Since the bronze mirrors in ancient tombs are buried deep underground for many years, they often react with the oxygen in the ancient tombs to produce copper oxide, etc. black matter. This directly led to the fact that after many bronze mirrors were unearthed, their fronts were covered with black spots.
It is said that in a collection of the Shanghai Museum, light hits the front of the mirror and is reflected on the wall. The pattern on the back of the mirror actually appears in the light spot reflected by the mirror. The principle is a bit complicated. It is said to be a light-transmitting mirror. I can't explain it clearly here, so I will give it up because my knowledge is shallow.
Let’s go back to the problem of mirror corrosion. Bronze mirrors are naturally more prone to rust and hairiness than glass mirrors. Therefore, mirror polishing craftsmen need to polish them every once in a while, and the bronze mirrors become thinner and thinner. .
The back of the bronze mirror from the Song Dynasty is simple and rough, with the place of production directly engraved on it, and then decorated with patterns of flowers and plants. With my guidance, I believe that everyone already has a certain ability to appreciate cultural relics, and can easily tell which dynasty the three mirrors in my article are from. If you are given a mirror, in addition to seeing yourself clearly, you can also see Nothing else comes out. In ancient times, mirrors were not just a tool, but also an exquisite decoration. Therefore, whether it is engraving or various patterns, the back of the bronze mirror is more interesting than the bare mirror surface.