A Mirror to the Past

A Mirror to the Past

by LARK E. MASON, JR.

Objects have associations and stories.  Theres now, and the backstory. Who made it, when, where, why, and how? And, why is it where it is now and not someplace else? This hand mirror is mounted with a white jade rounded panel with a relief carved Chinese character surrounded by four objects: a dragon, lotus, tassel tied jar or container, and a chevron-form with long sashes. The armature is silver and the handle is a rectangular jade block with a high relief sinuous dragon with curled tip ending in a dragon head, the reverse (not visible) is undecorated but for a raised circular disk.  The two jade elements are different colors, different styles of carving, and apparently were made for different purposes and brought together to create the mirror. The parts existed prior to the mirror, but where did they come from and why were these made into a mirror?

The rounded panel carvings represent ‘good luck’ and the central character is a stylized ’shou’ symbol, for long-life which is associated with Daoism. For more information on imagery, a guide to ‘Longevity in Chinese Art’ comprehensively delves into the subject, but my interest is in the social associations that ‘created’ the mirror from associated elements. 

The bent metal tabs at the edge of the jade panel secure it to the armature lapping over the molded rim in decorative contrast with the white jade.  It was not original to the mirror, because the mirror came later, but also because the four symbols are four of what should be eight, the ‘ba ji xiang’ or eight buddhist emblems. These are a parasol, conch shell, vase and cover, banner, wheel of life, pair of fish, endless knot, and lotus. These are ubiquitous on Chinese works of art, from jade carvings to fabrics, and usually associated with conveying ‘good wishes’ to the owner or the recipient of the object. But this panel is only four of eight, inferring that the other four were on a separate but connected object, probably jade, that somehow has become disassociated, making the jade panel incomplete.

It is reasonable to assume the ‘ba ji xiang’ and  ‘longevity’ character were made for someone who understands Chinese culture and specifically understands why these are carved onto an oval jade panel. There must be a purpose and it must have merited the time and costs of these materials and the workmanship. The jade panel required skill to create which implies training and experience. The jade had to be sourced, it is white with few impurities, showing that this was selected over jade with flaws. The carving is skilled. The Shou character is not simply carved into the jade, it is carved in relief, which means that the surrounding jade material was carved away, and in that process the characters are cut-out in relief with raised edges and the center of each is cut down to the surrounding level of the panel. The character is not a simple, common straight-forward shou, it is a stylized shou, meaning that the person who saw this had to be well-educated to read it and to understand the imagery and the association of the stylized character with an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy. The objects, the tassels, the leaves, are rendered in movement, these appear as if blown by the wind, a choice made by the designer.

Jade is carved by abrasion. An ancient version of a dental drill with crystals of a harder substance than jade abrades the surface of the jade, gradually wearing down the material and leaving in relief the design. There are multiple people involved in this process: the carver, the person who thought of the idea, and someone who oversees the carver. But more likely, the carver is a part of a team, a group of people engaged in the creation of this object, who report to a manager or overseer, and who in turn report to the owner, who also employed designers coming up with a fashionable interpretation of ways to say ‘good luck’ in jade. Chances are there were a number of people involved in this process, borne out by the quality of the work, a result of skill gained through repetition, and the assumption that this was done for a profit, inferring that it is a privately owned business. 

The four missing symbols are a problem. These infer that the jade panel came from some other object, that the owner of the mirror does not care that the other four symbols are missing, nor does the owner care that the handle is from a different source. It also can be assumed that the new owner is unaware of the social associations conveyed with the symbols on these objects, and more concerned with the overall impression of these objects as representing a generalized ‘exotic’ or ‘Chinese’ or simply ‘Asian’ source. It can also be assumed that the workshop purchased the oval panel from someone who did not want it as much as the money given in exchange.  Further, the mirror has  small bats at the edge of the handle, usually also associated with ‘good luck’ but coming in sets of five, for the ‘wu fu’ or five bats. A cultural mismatch.The dragon is on rectangular panel that was attached to the armature for the handle. It’s not something that is easily held. It is heavy, the relief carved elements uncomfortable to hold, and the edges are hard. Setting it down on stone or glass will likely result in a chip or fracture to the surface or the mirror. 

Gorham Manufacturing Company, Dressing Set, ca. 1890

Hand mirrors were common in the early 20th century and were often part of sets that included powder jars, trays, covered containers for pins, nail buffs, hairbrushes, and combs and most of these were made of silver or silver plate. Dressing tables with mirrors were common in prosperous households and a ‘dressing set’’ would be placed at the ‘dressing table’ where other personal items, perfumes, containers of rouge, lipstick would be kept, and these were usually not in the bedroom (unless a large room) but in a ‘dressing room’ that adjoined the bedroom. In the early 19th century and before, most houses had no closets. Closets were used for the storage of valuable material and most people had few personal items and these would be kept in a chest in the bedroom. Clothing was expensive, handmade, and costly. As the advances of the industrial revolution swept across the world, first to Western Europe and the United States, more disposable income resulted in higher standard of living and lower costs for clothing, food and other commodities and houses had to accommodate these extra possessions, particularly clothing and items for personal use. Dressing rooms became common in upper middle-class houses, closets were added for clothing, and dressing tables with silver dressing sets were often given as wedding gifts.  In the United States companies such as Gorham, Tiffany, or Kirk created elaborate dressing sets. But this mirror is not associated with other objects. It is alone. 

Chinese Grayish White Jade Belthook Mounted on Leather and Wood Box, Froelich, ca.1900

The jade handle is actually a belt buckle, created as a fashion accessory and mark of status for a wealthy individual or someone associated with the government. The use of jade belt hooks goes back thousands of years in China and those of the late Qing dynasty, which ended in 1911, are frequently white jade. When the Qing dynasty ended in 1911, it was not only a change of government, but also a societal change. The marks of status that had been important were gone, court robes, traditions, emblems of civil or military service were no longer needed. These did not immediately disappear, but those in government and engaged with the international community, were looking forward to new ideas and new fashions and shedding the old symbols. One of those symbols shed were the elaborate robes and court dress and accessories, including jade belt hooks. 

Garment hook with feline motif, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

As the modern world rushed into China and China embraced it, the change was not instantaneous. It took time. Old patterns and habits gradually gave way to western fashion, and gradually the clothing, jade belt hooks, and huge numbers of other items that gradually lost meaning were offered for sale. Entrepreneurs recognized the quality of the work that mismatched with local fashion and taste in China, but that could with a slight modification  be made relevant for western buyers who sought associations with China and Asia in general, as marks of sophistication and status. Within a few years of the new Chinese Republic, huge numbers of jade belt hooks were refashioned as handles for magnifying glasses, hand mirrors, and handles on boxes and marketed to elite, sophisticated western buyers in London, Paris, New York and other cities. 

Chinese Carved Jade Mounted, Silver Wire Inlaid Hardwood Ruyi Scepter

The oval jade panel was also recycled. One of the great accomplishments of an educated young man from a wealthy, civic-minded family was to pass the Civil Service exams and enter into government service. The tests were rigorous and had been in place for over a thousand years and provided a means by which an educated, talented man could rise by merit to the highest levels of government. This was a great accomplishment. Success at passing the exams were met with honors, and one of these was a traditional gift of a wooden, jade, lacquer, or sometimes metal or ceramic symbolic scepter. Called ‘ruyi scepters’ because these were of slight S-scroll shape with a large head at one end and an approximate twelve inch long body ending with a shaped terminal, these symbolized power and good fortune. These incorporate shapes that call to mind clouds, associated with heaven, and ruyi, with lingzhi, a type of mushroom whose head resembles a stylized cloud and is associated with long-life. The large jade panel is almost certainly taken from a ruyi scepter and the ‘missing’ four symbols of the ‘ba ji Xiang’ likely were a smaller jade plaque in the center of the body of the scepter, which may have been wood, lacquer, or gilt bronze. There was probably another jade panel at the end of the scepter. 

Chinese Hardwood Ruyi Scepter with Inset Celadon
Jade Plaques, c. 1900

Not only were many scepters no longer part of the cultural landscape, many were owned by once prosperous but now impoverished families and were sold and disassembled for parts. Others damaged were also recycled. The parts were destined for new forms and new audiences who were not concerned with the status of a successful examination, nor of the subtleties of Confuscian or Buddhist imagery and symbolism, but with fashionable associations with China and Asia. The Asian association transcended practicality. It wasn’t about how ungainly the handle fit in the hand, it was more valuable as a symbol of worldliness and exoticism. The era of hand mirrors as a status symbol endured for many years, even into the post World War II period, when these gradually became collectors items, not items for the boudoir. Now the screw has turned again, and these are being purchased because of the materials, including the silver workmanship of the armature, but headed back to financially empowered Chinese buyers, intent on collecting items from their cultural heritage.