2-735-199 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Mirror with Phoenixes, Birds, Butterflies, and Floral Sprays, 700s. This extremely rare pingtuo mirror is coated with a lacquer base inlaid with silver and gold. The decorative patterns, especially the floral arabesques and the phoenixes and birds holding branches in their mouths, have a pronounced Persian and Central Asian flavor. Luxury items like this had been used by the Tang emperor as an imperial gift. A similar example from the Japanese imperial collection of Emperor Shomu was donated by Empress Komyo to the Shoso-in repository of the Todai-ji Temple, Nara, in 756.