Lot 91: A Pair of Chinese Bronze Mirrors with 'Suani and Grapes' Motif, Possibly Han Dynasty or Tang Dynasty

A pair of Chinese bronze mirrors. The first mirror, possibly attributed to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), features a prominent central dome-shaped boss. This boss is surrounded by four square cartouches containing the Chinese characters ‘日’ (rì, sun/day), ‘人’ (rén, person), ‘王’ (wáng, king), and ‘吾’ (wú, I/me), which commonly form a felicitous phrase such as “May I be king of people every day” or “Every day I am king of people.” The second mirror, possibly attributed to the Sui/Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), displays an elaborate high-relief decoration centered around a floral boss. This design depicts multiple dynamic animals, identified in market consensus as ‘Suani’ (mythical beasts) and possibly monkeys or apes, amidst a dense backdrop of scrolling vines, leaves, and other floral motifs, commonly referred to as a ‘Suani and Grapes’ pattern.