Ca. 618-907 AD. A beautifully decorated bronze mirror with a small fluted loop framed by a plain roundel around which four animals (dragon, bird, tiger, and turtle) representing the four cardinal directions radiate. The Four Symbols are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Turquoise Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each one has its own characteristics and origins. They have been depicted in many myths and tall tales, and also appear in many modern manga and anime. For a similar example, see The Yale University Art Gallery, 1969.55.6. Size: L:110mm / W:110mm ; 300g Provenance: UK private collection of Asian Art; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.