"TLV mirror" is the name given by archeologists to a type of
bronze mirror
Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror, sometimes termed a copper mirror, has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan Italy to Japan. Typically they are round a ...
that was popular during the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. They are called TLV mirrors because symbols resembling the Latin letters "
T," "
L" and "
V" are cast in the design. They were produced from around the 2nd century BCE until the 2nd century CE.
Development
The first mirrors with TLV symbols appeared during the 2nd century BCE, with some believing that they were related to
Liu An's
astrological and
cosmological
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...
interests. The
dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
was an important symbol of these early TLV mirrors. In early mirrors from the 2nd century BCE, the dragons were often used as an
arabesque, however by the 1st century BCE, the dragons lost their arabesque form and became full-fledged figures.
In the later part of the
Western Han
The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring int ...
period, the dragons were replaced by winged figures,
monsters and
immortals. These new mirrors also saw the division of the main area into two separate rings, with the TLV symbols being placed in the inner part of the main area, and other decorations being placed in the outer area. By the end of the 1st century BCE, the band dividing the main area into two concentric rings had largely lost its structural function of separating the mirror into two sections. Instead it existed merely as a line, or not at all.
Mirrors from the
Xin dynasty
The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped th ...
(8–23 CE) usually have an outer band with cloud or animal
motifs, and an inner circle with a square containing a knob. The inner circle often contains a series of eight 'nipples,' and various
mythological
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
animals and being, often including the
Queen Mother of the West
The Queen Mother of the West, known by #Names, various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese religion and Chinese mythology, mythology, also worshipped later in neighbouring countries. She is attested from ancient ...
. The central square could have an inscription, or contain the characters of the
Twelve Earthly Branches. Inscriptions placed in between the mirror's sections frequently discuss
Wang Mang
Wang Mang (45 BCE6 October 23 CE), courtesy name Jujun, officially known as the Shijianguo Emperor (), was the founder and the only emperor of the short-lived Chinese Xin dynasty. He was originally an official and consort kin of the ...
and his reign.
Symbolism

Scholars are engaged in a debate as to what the symbols on TLV mirrors mean. Some scholars believe that they represent ideas from
Chinese cosmology
Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...
, while others believe that they could also be used to play the boardgame of
liubo
''Liubo'' (; Old Chinese *''kruk pˤak'' “six sticks”) was an History of China, ancient Chinese board game for two players. The rules have largely been lost, but it is believed that each player had six game pieces that were moved around the ...
.
Cosmological significance
TLV mirrors are circular. At their centers is a circular boss inset on a square panel. According to Schuyler Camman, the design of TLV mirrors was cosmologically significant. The V shapes served 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 represented the ‘
Four Seas
The Four Seas () were four bodies of water that metaphorically made up the boundaries of ancient China. There is a sea for each for the four cardinal directions. The West Sea is Qinghai Lake, the East Sea is the East China Sea, the North Sea is ...
.’ During the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
the ‘Four Seas’ represented territories outside
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and did not literally refer to water. The central square within the round mirror likely alludes to the ancient Chinese idea that heaven was round and earth was square. The Ts represented the concept of the ‘Four Gates of the Middle Kingdom,’ an idea present in
Chinese literature
The history of Chinese literature extends thousands of years, and begins with the earliest recorded inscriptions, court archives, building to the major works of philosophy and history written during the Axial Age. The Han dynasty, Han (202  ...
. They could have also represented the idea of the four inner gates of the Han place of sacrifice, or the gates of the imperial tombs built during the Han period. The Ls possibly symbolized the marshes and swamps beyond the ‘Four Seas,’ at the ends of the earth. The bending of the Ls could possibly have served to create a rotating effect which symbolized the four seasons, which were very closely related to the cardinal directions. The nine nipples in the central square likely represented the ‘nine regions of the earth as discussed by Cammann as having come from the Shiji. The eight nipples outside of the central square were most likely a representations of the Eight Pillars, mountains that held up the canopy of heaven. The area between the inner round border and the outer rim of the mirror was often filled with swirls that represented the clouds in heaven.
The game of liubo
In 1947 Professor
Lien-sheng Yang of
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
proposed that the design of TLV mirrors was related to an ancient Chinese
boardgame called
liubo
''Liubo'' (; Old Chinese *''kruk pˤak'' “six sticks”) was an History of China, ancient Chinese board game for two players. The rules have largely been lost, but it is believed that each player had six game pieces that were moved around the ...
, which was played on a square board with the same markings as seen on this type of mirror. Further evidence was presented in an additional note in 1952. An ancient rubbing of a first century Chinese bronze mirror discovered in the
National Museum of China
The National Museum of China is an art museum, art and history museum located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The National Museum of China has a total construction area of about 200,000 square meters, a collection of more than ...
in 1980s further confirms it.
See also
*
Mandala
A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid ...
*
Chinese magic mirror
*
Toli
*
Shinju-kyo
Notes
References
*
Cammann, Schuyler. “The ‘TLV’ Pattern on Cosmic Mirrors of the Han Dynasty”, ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', 68.3-4 (1948), 159–167.
*
Bulling, Anneliese. ''The Decoration of Mirrors of the Han Period: A Chronology''. Ascona: Artibus Asiae, 1960.
*
Yang, Lien-sheng. “An Additional Note on the Ancient Game of Liu-po”, ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'', 15.1-2. (1952), 124–139.
External links
TLV mirrors at Kyoto National Museum
Chinese TLV mirrors at Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Lloyd Costen Study Collection of Chinese Bronze Mirrors
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tlv Mirror
Chinese bronzeware
Bronze mirrors