Ming Dynasty bronze mirror presents mythical scene on the moon

In ancient China, bronze mirrors played an important role in people’s daily lives, with their decorative patterns on the reverse reflecting ideology or popular culture.

Here is a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) bronze mirror decorated with a mythical scene on the moon. With its handle as a mortar, a rabbit stands beside it and holds a stick to pound medicine. An exuberant chrysanthemum tree grows from the left, and cloud patterns are seen around the rabbit.

It is a treasure in the permanent collection of the Wuhan Museum in Hubei province.