The Research Of Eastern Han Bronze Mirrors In Shandong Area

Ancient Chinese bronze mirrors set practical and appreciative nature, the development process of bronze mirrors was a miniature of social history. Not only the style and structure of bronze mirrors reflect concept of life in every era, the engraved patterns on their back are also authentic reflections of aesthetic standard and value ideal.Studying bronze mirrors in the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the limitation of excavated materials and their minor difference with bronze mirrors in Western Han, existing several disputes in dating and periodizing, as well as interpreting their patterns in different ways. This research use engraved patterns on bronze mirrors in Eastern Han in Shandong area as an example, discussing the relationship between the development of bronze mirrors, the development of society, politics, economics and culture, and public faith.This research choose129bronze mirrors which excavated in Shandong or from folk collection, typing and forming their style and engraved patterns in detail, introducing their development, differences and evolution trend. So, through the engraved patterns, we can give further discussions to social features and public life behind bronze mirrors.Generally speaking, interpreting humanistic community under particular space and time like Eastern Han and Shandong area, through engraved patterns as symbol, will enrich the historical research of this area. This paper can be divided into three parts.The first part:Introduction. This part simply introduces the historical development of bronze mirrors, research history and current status and the origin of materials in this paper.The second part is an organization of bronze mirrors excavated in Shandong area. After explaining bronze mirrors in Eastern Han one by one, I divided these bronze mirrors into Arc Lines Bronze Mirror、Multiple Nipple Beast Pattern Bronze Mirror、 Shidi Pattern Bronze mirror Pan Hui Pattern mirror、Dragon and Tiger Pattern Bronze Mirror、Portraits Pattern Bronze Mirror Birds with Five Baht Pattern Bronze Mirror、 Mythical Animals Pattern Bronze Mirror and Bo-Ju Pattern Bronze Mirror ten types and introduced them in detail. Every type, according to difference and diversification of engraved patterns, can be subdivided. And afterwards, comparing bronze mirrors unearthed in Shandong area with the same kind of mirrors from folk collection, defining their similarities and differences through real objects.In Part Ⅲ, after the above-mentioned discussion, the social connotation reflected in engraved patterns can be fully illuminated, including social economics, social politics, people’s live-hood, Confucian ideologies, philosophy of Taoism, Divination of Confucian doctrine and period of history in engraved patterns. These interpretations of bronze mirrors and their engraved patterns can help us understanding the historical attraction of bronze mirrors thoroughly and better.This research introduces Eastern Han bronze mirrors and their engraved patterns in Shandong area, not only giving a further and clearer cognition of the development thread of bronze mirrors, but also helps us understand the historical overview and burial custom in this district. Furthermore, it makes bronze mirrors more important in the development of archaeology of fine arts.