Han Dynasty Bronze Mirror with Four Nipples and Eight Birds blade pearl-hued glass

pearl-hued glass

and light nicks

potentially placed in Vicús burials as offerings to nourish the deceased in the afterlife

while short

these perforated weights provided balance and rotational force

Han Dynasty Bronze Mirror with Four Nipples and Eight Birds blade pearl-hued glassHan Dynasty, c. 206 BC 220AD, China A beautifully cast and substantial bronze mirror from the Han Dynasty, displaying an attractive silvery grey patina and exemplifying the elegant restraint and technical sophistication of early Chinese metalwork. Circular in form, the reverse is centered by a perforated suspension knob encircled by a narrow hatched band. Surrounding this is the principal decorative field, comprising four raised nipples alternating