Mirror with Beasts and Geometric Patterns

Two types of animal patterns are seen here. One is four bear-like beasts, whose heads and legs twist in opposite directions. The other is four curvilinear creatures similar to dragons. These animals fit comfortably inside and outside of the compartments formed by a large quatrefoil in the center. Mirrors with these decorations and the slightly raised edge were made from the time of the Warring States era, a period that was full of warlords, to the Qin dynasty, a short-lived period when the area now called China was unified for the first time.