Bronze mirrors were used as one of the daily essentials for the ancient Chinese people. They were used to check one’s appearance and for young ladies to apply make-up and style their hair. They were also esteemed as a kind of handicraft.
Additionally, they were also used as funerary objects. Ancient people believed that placing a bronze mirror in a tomb meant “breaking the darkness and seeking light.” The mirror would provide light for the deceased in the tomb’s darkness.
Equally, the mirror was seen as a magic weapon to drive away evil spirits and demons. Many Taoist priests in ancient times practiced alchemy, and the mirror never left their side. In the Buddhist and Taoist religious rituals, the mirror was also considered an indispensable magic weapon.
Why most bronze mirrors were round
Since most bronze mirrors were round, this shape had an auspicious meaning in ancient China. It symbolized the beauty of love and marriage, so bronze mirrors were often used as tokens to express these in ancient times. The story of breaking the mirror and being reunited is a famous example of the ancient bronze mirror being used as a token of love and marriage. This is expressed in the story of Princess Lechang and the Broken Mirror.
There is a legendary and famous story of Xu Deyan and Princess Lechang, who broke a mirror to be reunited.
During the Chen Dynasty (557-589), the younger sister of Lord Shubao, Princess Lechang, was married to Xu Deyan, a Prince’s warden. Xu Deyan saw the chaos in the country and said to his wife: “Once the country falls, with your talent and beauty, you will be displaced to a rich and powerful family, and I am afraid we will be separated forever. We should have a token.”
Xu Deyin broke a bronze mirror, and each took one half. He elaborated to his wife: “In the future, you must have someone sell the mirror on the street on the 15th day of the first month, and if I see it, I will come to you.”
After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, Princess Lechang was indeed displaced and stranded in the house of Yang Su. The Duke of Yue in the Sui Dynasty was very fond of her.
On the 15th day of the year’s first month, Xu Deyin saw a servant selling a highly-priced half-piece of mirror at the market, which was laughed at by the people. Upon witnessing this, Xu Deyin brought the servant to his residence and told him about his previous experience with the mirror. To verify this, he took out his half of the mirror and placed it next to the half sold by the servant. Upon learning of the servants’ encounter, Princess Le Chang cried and refused to eat.
Yang Su soon learned about the situation and sent someone to find Xu Deyan. Su decided to return Deyan’s wife to him and gave them some money. Later, Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan returned to Jiangnan and grew old together.
Although the story of Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan is enviable, their spirit of honoring their marriage vow is even more worthy of respect.
