Floral-shaped Mirror with Ship, Cloud and Dragon Design and Inscription

Korea

12th century

Bronze

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhism flourished in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty, and Buddhist themes and symbols came to embellish many artifacts. The overall shape of this mirror is based on a lotus blossom, a Buddhist symbol of purity. The scene probably depicts a spirit boat carrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Dragons cavort in a cosmic sea and one of them blows the boat along its way. The inscription provides a clue that the image is about transition from life to afterlife: “Clear, vast, luminous sky” (Hwangbi changcheon 煌丕昌天). Gallery G206 Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation