The practicality of mirrors has long been known in China, as attested by the following passage from the Pao Pu Tzu of Ko Hung (254-334 A.D.).
Near Mt. Lin-lu is a pavilion where travellers staying the night often met with sickness or death. It was haunted by ghosts that took the form of men and women dressed in yellow, black and white. One night a traveler named Hsi Po-yi stopped there, lit a bright candle and sat up reading the classics. At midnight a dozen people came in, sat down around him and began gambling. Hsi looked at them in a mirror and saw that in actuality they were dogs. Pretending he had accidentally set his sleeve on fire, he pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the revelers. The ghost groaned like a human but when dead turned into a dog. The others saw how things were and ran off. No more ghosts have been seen there since. The passage concludes with the remark, "Such is the power of mirrors."
Another passage in the same book explains that mirrors reveal the original shape of animal spirits that have taken on human form to deceive people. This is why Taoist hermits wear mirrors on their backs when they go off into mountains. Benevolent spirits are reflected in human form but ghosts and goblins are revealed for what they are and keep away. The mirror that can be seen above the door of many Chinese houses today is a continuation of this tradition.
Actually, this is only one instance of the suggestive power of mirrors. Mirrors, like other everyday objects, figure in many Chinese metaphorical expressions; for example, an individual's discerning judgment may be described as "a bright mirror hung on high."
The back of a bronze mirror is a miniature world that can set the imagination soaring. Carved there we see sometimes mythological figures, such as the animals of the zodiac, the spirits of the four quarters, monsters, gods and fairies; sometimes inscriptions of serene wisdom or a prayer for family happiness; sometimes drawings, of Po Ya playing the lute, of soaring clouds, of birds, of fish or of flowers; or sometimes just a dragon, the mirror-boss its eye.
Mirrors like these may seem scarcely imaginable to us today, accustomed as we are to glass and plastic, but we must remember that ancient Chinese bronze mirrors were unrivalled for their exquisite workmanship and rich artistry. The secret of their making disappeared long ago but their ancient beauty and fascinating magic still draw us to them today.
(Peter Eberly)
