Bronze Mirror, a Symbol of Royal Authority

These bronze mirrors were excavated from the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong. From the Bronze Age onward bronze mirrors were used not only to reflect one’s face, but also as a symbol of royal authority or shamanistic power. As a traditional symbol of the sun, bronze mirrors were commonly used in religious rituals.

Egyptians are known to have invented the first bronze mirrors in 4,000 BC. In western countries, mirrors with handles were developed and they were generally used when applying cosmetics. However, in Eastern countries, including Baekje, mirrors with ring-shaped knobs were developed. Each mirror has a different design with a different meaning, so let’s take a closer look at them one by one.

The mirror at the end on the left is engraved with an image depicting four animals and Taoist hermits on a hunt on the outside of the square pattern in the middle. Chinese characters are carved around the animals: can you see them? This bronze mirror was created in prayers for the owner’s good health and long life.

The biggest mirror on the right has a leather thong tied to the knob and there is an inscription on it. The back of the mirror is decorated with a design featuring seven animals. The inscription means ‘a wish for the success of our descendants’. The remnant of the leather thong suggests that it might have been worn around the neck.

The pattern on the mirror on the left copies the characteristic style of mirrors made during the Han Dynasty in China. Just like the other two mirrors, this one also features animal designs. It is also evidence of the cultural exchange that occurred between Baekje and China at that time.

You might wonder how you could reflect any object at all with all these complicated patterns. What you are actually seeing is the back of the mirror. Unlike the back, the front of mirror has no patterns or designs, and was polished to a reflective, shiny surface. The bronze mirrors of Baekje were later disseminated to Japan, and so the same style of mirrors is also found in ancient Japanese tombs.