A LARGE INSCRIBED 'TLV' BRONZE MIRROR, HAN DYNASTYCast bronze with high relief, the patina with malachite encrustationChina, Han dynasty, 206 BC – 220 ADInscription: Youfeng (translated: right summit)The central knob within a circular reserve with a scroll of stylized mythical animals, within a square reserve, the outer field with 'TLV' pattern, eight nipples and various celestial animals including the turtle intertwined with a snake, a dragon, a tiger, a phoenix, all within narrow bands and hatched lines, and below a dogtooth band and a band of clouds around the rim. A TLV mirror is a type of circular bronze mirror with engraved symbols resembling the letters T, L, and V. According to Schuyler Camman, the design of TLV mirrors is cosmologically significant. The V shapes serves to give the inner square the appearance of being placed in the middle of a cross. This forms an illustration of the Chinese idea of the five directions – North, South, West, East and Center. The central square represents China as the ‘Middle Kingdom.’ The area in between the central square and the circle represents the ‘Four Seas.’ During the Han Dynasty the ‘Four Seas’ represented territories outside China. The central square within the round mirror alludes to the ancient Chinese idea that heaven is round, and earth is square. The Ts represent the concept of the ‘Four Gates of the Middle Kingdom,’ an idea present in Chinese literature. The Ls symbolize the marshes and swamps beyond the ‘Four Seas,’ at the ends of the earth. The eight nipples outside of the central square are a representation of the Eight Pillars, mountains that held up the canopy of heaven. Shape: Round mirrorWeight: 1371 gramsDimensions: 18 cmCondition: Very good condition with some wear and extensive patina, as customary for a piece of this ageProvenance: American private collection. Old collector label to back.Auction result comparison: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. Sotheby's, 16 - 17 SEPTEMBER 2014, NEW YORK, lot 128. (for a similar mirror, but slightly smaller)漢代大型青銅鏡青銅鑄造,深浮雕,孔雀石綠銅綠中國,漢代( 206 BC – 220 AD)背面有“右峰“字樣造型:圓鏡重量:1371 克尺寸:18 厘米品相:狀況極好,有些磨損和銅綠,與其年代相符來源:美國私人收藏,底部可見老藏家標簽