Lobed Mirror with a Tortoise Knob, Musician, and Phoenix

A lobed bronze mirror with a raised relief design. A seated musician sits beneath bamboo at left, a phoenix with spread wings perches at right, and a central knob is shaped like a tortoise above rippling water. Clouds and a pavilion appear at the top, with an inscription band around the edge.

Look closer: Tiny cluster of flowers hangs above the phoenix, and the inscription band runs around the rim.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 700s

Medium

bronze

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

3400 × 3121 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. Thomas and Martha Carter in Honor of Sherman E. Lee