Artwork preview

Mirror with dragons and knob-and-swirl design

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Mirror with dragons and knob-and-swirl design by Unknown is a circular bronze object with a green patina. The circular object has a knob in the center and a square formed by raised lines around it. The square is surrounded by swirling and curvilinear line designs. Two dragons face each other on either side of the square. The dragons are depicted with their bodies curved around the square. The dragons have a head on one end and a tail on the other. The body of each dragon consists of raised bumps. The circular border consists of raised semicircles that alternate with a different design. The semicircles are smooth. The other design consists of a circle and three lines extending from it. The background of the image is a gray gradient that is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom. The object casts a shadow on the surface below it.

Artwork details

Date:
1st century BCE
Medium:
Bronze
Culture:
China
Dimensions:
600 × 450 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette