Floral-shaped Mirror with Ship, Cloud and Dragon Design and Inscription, 12th century
Unknown Koreanexpand_more
Bronzeexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.518
On View in Gallery 206expand_more
Buddhism flourished in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty, and Buddhist themes and symbols came to embellish many artifacts. The overall shape of this mirror is based on a lotus blossom, a Buddhist symbol of purity. The scene probably depicts a spirit boat carrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Dragons cavort in a cosmic sea and one of them blows the boat along its way. The inscription provides a clue that the image is about transition from life to afterlife: “Clear, vast, luminous sky” (Hwangbi changcheon 煌丕昌天).
Details
- Title
- Floral-shaped Mirror with Ship, Cloud and Dragon Design and Inscription
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.518
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 943
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.