Chinese magic mirror

The Chinese magic mirror (<a href="/facts/Simplified_Chinese_characters/UcAD6xXs">simplified Chinese</a>: 透光镜; <a href="/facts/Traditional_Chinese_characters/bBFLkuz7">traditional Chinese</a>: 透光鏡; <a href="/facts/Pinyin/pUwjfMXg">pinyin</a>: tòu guāng jìng) traces back to at least the 5th century, although their existence during the <a href="/facts/Han_dynasty/hanfxS9D">Han dynasty</a> (206 BC – 24 AD) has been claimed. The mirrors were made out of solid <a href="/facts/Bronze/YCYCVIKt">bronze</a>. The front was polished and could be used as a mirror, while the back has a design cast in the bronze, or other decoration. When sunlight or other bright light shines onto the mirror, the mirror appears to become <a href="/facts/Transparency_and_translucency/PRryNNW6">transparent</a>. If that light is reflected from the mirror onto a wall, the pattern on the back of the mirror is then projected onto the wall.

<a href="/facts/Bronze_mirror/Aj3w7ddQ">Bronze mirrors</a> were the standard in many <a href="/facts/Eurasia/KlLI9GDM">Eurasian</a> cultures, but most lacked this characteristic, as did most Chinese bronze mirrors.

Chinese magic mirror open-in-new

Chinese magic mirror