Korean Bronze Mirror
Lovely square bronze mirror from Korean and very possibly a Goryeo mirror. So called because this form originates during the Goryeo dynasty in modern day Korea from 918-1392 CE. I cannot speak to the age of this object, it is one of a collection of five I acquired several years ago from another dealer out of a major Dallas estate. It is certainly bronze, and its wear is consistent with real use and other examples I’ve seen and handled in museums.
What I can speak to is the complicated nature of a mirror as it ages over time. I have many mirrors in my home. Only one or two of them function in any sort of meaningful way. Predominantly, these mirrors have decayed well past the point of use. The silver has tarnished into darkness, the mercury has flaked off leaving clear glass, the paint had pitted into something closer to the surface of the moon. This is what I want in a mirror. Should I perhaps talk to my therapist about what this means about my self image? Undoubtedly.
Whether this object is truly a millennium old or a later copy, it is my only example of the earliest forms of mirrors prior to the development of glass: polished metal. Originally this surface would have been polished as much as was possible, giving it a yellow gold sheen that could convincingly reflect oneself, physically at least. It is now scratched and pitted and vertigrised to hell. What was once meant to act as a visual clone is now useless hell scape. So destroyed in its function that it is difficult to determine its original purpose without knowledge of its history. Stare into and see myriad futures. Stare into it and see myriad pasts. Stare into it and you will see many things other than yourself.
6”x6”x1.5”
Lovely square bronze mirror from Korean and very possibly a Goryeo mirror. So called because this form originates during the Goryeo dynasty in modern day Korea from 918-1392 CE. I cannot speak to the age of this object, it is one of a collection of five I acquired several years ago from another dealer out of a major Dallas estate. It is certainly bronze, and its wear is consistent with real use and other examples I’ve seen and handled in museums.
What I can speak to is the complicated nature of a mirror as it ages over time. I have many mirrors in my home. Only one or two of them function in any sort of meaningful way. Predominantly, these mirrors have decayed well past the point of use. The silver has tarnished into darkness, the mercury has flaked off leaving clear glass, the paint had pitted into something closer to the surface of the moon. This is what I want in a mirror. Should I perhaps talk to my therapist about what this means about my self image? Undoubtedly.
Whether this object is truly a millennium old or a later copy, it is my only example of the earliest forms of mirrors prior to the development of glass: polished metal. Originally this surface would have been polished as much as was possible, giving it a yellow gold sheen that could convincingly reflect oneself, physically at least. It is now scratched and pitted and vertigrised to hell. What was once meant to act as a visual clone is now useless hell scape. So destroyed in its function that it is difficult to determine its original purpose without knowledge of its history. Stare into and see myriad futures. Stare into it and see myriad pasts. Stare into it and you will see many things other than yourself.
6”x6”x1.5”
Lovely square bronze mirror from Korean and very possibly a Goryeo mirror. So called because this form originates during the Goryeo dynasty in modern day Korea from 918-1392 CE. I cannot speak to the age of this object, it is one of a collection of five I acquired several years ago from another dealer out of a major Dallas estate. It is certainly bronze, and its wear is consistent with real use and other examples I’ve seen and handled in museums.
What I can speak to is the complicated nature of a mirror as it ages over time. I have many mirrors in my home. Only one or two of them function in any sort of meaningful way. Predominantly, these mirrors have decayed well past the point of use. The silver has tarnished into darkness, the mercury has flaked off leaving clear glass, the paint had pitted into something closer to the surface of the moon. This is what I want in a mirror. Should I perhaps talk to my therapist about what this means about my self image? Undoubtedly.
Whether this object is truly a millennium old or a later copy, it is my only example of the earliest forms of mirrors prior to the development of glass: polished metal. Originally this surface would have been polished as much as was possible, giving it a yellow gold sheen that could convincingly reflect oneself, physically at least. It is now scratched and pitted and vertigrised to hell. What was once meant to act as a visual clone is now useless hell scape. So destroyed in its function that it is difficult to determine its original purpose without knowledge of its history. Stare into and see myriad futures. Stare into it and see myriad pasts. Stare into it and you will see many things other than yourself.
6”x6”x1.5”