Mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions
The four mythological creatures depicted on this mirror refer to symbols of the cardinal directions: the green dragon of the east, white tiger of the west, red bird of the south, and entwined black snake and tortoise of the north. These associations emerged in Chinese cosmology around the third century BCE and became firmly established in the following centuries. A long inscription encircling the animals, elegantly calligraphed in relief, illustrates a critical phase in the development of Chinese writing, when the regular script attained its standard form.
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