A Korean Bronze Mirror (donggyeong) from the Goryeo Period
Before the introduction of glass mirrors, polished bronze mirrors were used in ancient Korea. The oldest mirrors are more than 2,400 years old and can therefore be classified as belonging to the Late Bronze Age.
The mirrors, decorated with circles and simple geometric patterns, were used by shamans as ritual objects. They were believed to have supernatural powers and were therefore often found as funerary objects in graves of high-ranking members of society.
During the Goryeo period (918-1392 AD), metalworking had made great progress. Korea was also rich in the high-quality copper needed for bronze. Over time, ever finer and more complex patterns developed on the backs of the mirrors.
The mirrors were a beauty tool used not only by women, but also by noble men and government officials. They could be worn hanging from clothing by threading a string through the knob in the middle. There were also special racks on which the mirrors were placed.
A bronze mirror with auspicious symbols was presented by the royal court to each court official at a ceremony on the 7th day of the lunar new year. In the Goryeo Dynasty, mirrors were luxury goods that were given to their owners in their graves.
The bronze mirrors were manufactured in large quantities in workshops or family businesses in China and imported to Korea. There the shapes and patterns were copied for locally made mirrors. For this reason, it is often difficult to determine the region of origin of a mirror.
The heavily oxidized bronze mirror shown in the museum was purchased by Archabbot Norbert Weber on his second trip to Korea in 1924/25.
The back shows Buddhist motifs. Around the knob in an inner circle is a lotus flower, a symbol of enlightenment.
In the large middle circle there are two dragons flying elegantly through the air. The auspicious dragon is a common motif on Goryeo period mirrors, symbolizing the power of the ruler and associated with supernatural powers. The two dragons fly in different directions and chase after a so-called cintamani (desire jewel), a legendary gemstone that, it is said, gives its owner everything he longs for.
Cloud or wave motifs can be seen in the outermost circle. The water-giving, life-giving power of the dragon is thereby highlighted.