Chinese mirror Trigrams and Zodiac 100 millimeters

Recently made bronze mirror, good heavy quality one with a very nicely detailed decoration. The bronze has been treated with special methods to give it a nice 'vintage-look'. 

This Chinese mirror has a very ancient design. The style, with the central knob on the decorated backside and the Chinese symbolism is amongst the oldest known shamanic mirrors, dating back almost 4000 years. Mirrors like this were originally often made with the 'lost wax' bronze casting method. This style of mirror is still highly regarded nowadays, though they are nowadays of course mostly made with more modern production methods.

The backside of this mirror shows a motive that became widespread during the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279): a Bagua and a 12-year cycle. This motive is nowadays still one of the most popular in China, protecting against evil and bringing harmony to life. 

In the center the 8 trigrams ('Ba Gua') of Par Ha Ge can be seen. The trigram symbols come from very ancient origin; they derive from symbols found on ancient Chinese divination bones dating back as long as 11th century BCE. A related version of bone oracle is still used today by Turkic and Mongolian people, and also in the lineage of Spirit of Wolf Shamanism; 'Khaziki'. 

Doubled trigrams form 64 hexagrams, which form the core of the I Ching, the Book of Changes. Each trigram is a divinatory grapheme and represents different dynamics, energies, cardinal points, animals, seasons etc. In depictions such as on these mirrors, where the 8 of them together form a circle, it symbolizes heavenly order, a healthy balance and right flow of energy.

Also the 12 animals of the eastern zodiac can be seen. Just like the circular arrangement of the trigrams, also this motive adds to the idea of heavenly order. But also its presence, when used on shamanic mirrors, symbolizes control over time and space, an important core principle in the practice of shamanism.

This mirror is 100 millimeters in diameter and weighs 218 grams.

Only one available.

Read more about the origin, design and usage of (shamanic) mirrors in the general description of our webshop collection "Mirrors and Melongs".