#Bronze Mirror Tang Dynasty

[blueiskewl]

A bronze 'sea beasts and grapes' mirror Tang dynasty

D. 15.5 cm.

[yebreed]

Tang Dynasty Bronze Taoist Mirror with Birds and Flowers

Bronze mirrors are of particular importance in Taoist practice (although the pre-Taoist shamanic context is obvious here) and are associated with the imagery of alchemical myths. During the Tang Dynasty, the Golden Age of Taoism, bronze mirrors that reveal the hidden essence of things were a must-have for any self-respecting practitioner.

A representative example of a Taoist Tang mirror from the Luoyang Museum (洛陽博物館). The combination of gold and silver in the decor is a hidden appeal to solar and lunar principles. Impressive diameter, 36.2 cm.

Photo: ©正太破

[pwlanier]

A silvery bronze 'zodiac' mirror, Tang dynasty (618-907).

Courtesy Alain Troung

[chadlesbianjasontodd]

bronze mirror, obverse face depicting the mythical journey of emperor ming huang (tang xuanzong) to the palace of the moon goddess. song dynasty, 1000-1250.

[panicinthestudio]

Lobed mirror with birds, animals, and floral scrolls, late 7th–first half of the 8th century

Early or mid-Tang dynasty, China

Cast bronze and applied silver plaque with repoussé, chased, and ring-punched decoration and mercury gilding

Diam x D: 24.7 x 1.6 cm (9 3/4 x 5/8 in)

Collection of the National Museum of Asian Art

[finding-china]

Chinese Magic Mirror (透光鏡)

The Chinese "Magic Mirror" (透光镜, tòu guāng jìng) traces back to at least the fifth century, although their existence during the Han dynasty as earliest as the second century has been claimed. The mirrors were made out of solid bronze and the front was polished so it 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 transparent, if that light is reflected from the mirror onto a wall then the pattern on the back of the mirror is projected onto the wall.

In about 800 AD, during the Tang dynasty, a book entitled Record of Ancient Mirrors described the method of crafting solid bronze mirrors with decorations, written characters, or patterns on the reverse side that could cast these in a reflection on a nearby surface as light struck the front polished side of the mirror; due to this seemingly transparent effect, they were called "light-penetration mirrors". This Tang-era book was lost over the centuries, but magic mirrors were described in the Dream Pool Essays by Shen Kuo who owned three of them as family heirlooms.

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Mirror with Phoenixes, Birds, Butterflies, and Floral Sprays.

Date: 700's

Place of origin: China

Period: Tang dynasty (618-907)

Medium: Bronze with silver and gold inlaid lacquer.

[changan-moon]

shén shòu神兽, mythological animals in chinese culture for references and inspiration part Ⅰ:  nine offsprings of loong🐲🐉

In addition to the well-known Loong🐉 (dragon but not western dragon)and the Fenghuang(Phoenix), there are countless other divine beasts(or beasts of spiritualization) in Chinese mythology, their system is huge and complex, from various ancient texts and folklore, such as "Loong gives birth to nine offsprings 龙生九子", meaning the nine descendants of Loong and they are born from the mating of Loong and other divine beasts, with different forms, and their images can often be seen in Chinese folk culture.

1. 囚牛[qiú niú]

Qiuniu, the eldest offspring of the dragon, is said to have loved music all his life. Legend has it that qiuniu was the most docile of all the dragon's sons, and that it was not a killer or a fighter, but rather a musician. It had a head like a dragon and a body like a snake, and its hearing was so good that it could distinguish the sounds and the pitch of everything. It often crouches on ancient Chinese stringed instruments to enjoy the music of the plucked strings, which is why its statue was carved on them. ↓

2. 睚眦[yá zì]

Yazi, the second offspring, has the head of a dragon and the body of a jackal, is fierce, courageous, bloodthirsty and murderous, and always has a sword in its mouth and a furious stare, often engraved on the handle of a sword as a symbol of guardianship and strength. The original meaning of yazi is to stare in anger, a symbol of blood and vengeance, and so yazi became the embodiment of the destruction of all evil. ↓

3. 嘲风[cháo fēng]

Chaofeng is the third in line and enjoys adventure and views from high places.

In Chinese folklore, chaofeng symbolises good fortune, beauty and majesty, and also serves to deter demons, remove calamities and ward off evil spirits. It adds a layer of mystery to a towering hall and can act as a deterrent to evil and avoid disaster. ↓

4. 蒲牢[pú láo]

Pulao loves sound and a good roar, and is often carved on the great bells of Chinese temples. Legend has it that the pulao lived by the sea and was terrified of whales. When the whale attacked, he was so frightened that he roared loudly. In response to its 'fondness for roaring', the pulao was cast on the bell of the temple and the wooden pestle used to strike the bell was carved in the shape of the whale. When the bell is struck, the whale strikes the pulao one after the other, so that the sound of the bell can be heard from very far. ↓

5. 狻猊 [suān ní]

Resembling a lion, suanni is a quiet and immobile creature that sits well and loves fireworks, and is often used to decorate the foot of incense burners.

There are three broad uses for the suanni. One is as a mount for a Buddha or Bodhisattva, a guardian animal. Legend has it that the suanni liked to sit quiet for long time, so when the Buddha saw that it had patience, he took it as a mount. Secondly, the suanni was regarded as a auspicious beast to ward off evil and was introduced into people's practical lives, and was gradually used extensively in architectural decoration, folklore festivals and bronze mirror decoration. Thirdly, it was used to ward off evil spirits, to guard tombs, and to guard palace gates and mansions. In view of the supreme power of the Buddhist kung fu 'lion's roar', suanni stone sculptures were used in the Sui and Tang dynasties to guard tombs to ward off evil spirits or to symbolise authority. ↓

6. 赑屃[bì xì] Bixi is one of the nine sons of the dragon in ancient Han mythology, also known as baxia霸下 and ranked sixth. It has a tortoise-like appearance and likes to carry heavy loads on its back, often carrying stone monuments for years. Bixi is often used as a base for stone monuments, and is of great cultural importance. Its symbolism is based on 'longevity and good fortune' and has connotations of status, totem worship and witchcraft. ↓

7. 狴犴bì àn, also known as Charter, is loong's seventh offspring. It looks like a tiger, very powerful, and enjoy living a litigious life. The tiger head decoration on the prison door is Bian.

Ancient scripture《龙经》notes: "Bian likes to argue, and it has a name called charter." It is said that Bian is not only loyal to justice, but also able to distinguish right from wrong and judge justly. In addition to its majestic appearance, bian is not only decorated on the prison door, but also lying on both sides of the ancient government hall. Whenever the magistrate sits in the hall, Bian’s image is on the top of the title board and the silence board. Bian looks around fiercely to maintain the solemn integrity of the court.

Bian is both the symbol of prison and the patron saint of ordinary people. In 上虞区上浦镇冯浦村, shaoxing, zhejiang province, there are the cultural custom of 'Bian Loong dance狴犴龙舞', which had local characteristics and are deeply welcomed by the local people. ↓

8. 负屃[fù xì ]

The fuxi is the eighth offspring born to the dragon in ancient Chinese mythology. Its body resembles that of a dragon and it has a gentle disposition, preferring to coil around the head of a stone monument. It is a lover of literature and calligraphy and likes to coil around the tops of stone monuments with beautiful inscriptions. It is usually seen together with the bixi, which carries the monument, and the fuxi coils around the top of the monument. ↓

9. 螭吻 or 鸱吻 [chī wěn]

It is generally considered to be the ninth offspring of the dragon. It likes to swallow things and is said to be able to devour everything, as seen on the head of the beast on the roof of a Chinese palace. Chiwen likes to look around and is carved to look like it is swallowing the roof with its mouth open, and often has a sword stuck in its back. Legend has it that chiwen can spout waves and send down heavy rain, ward off fires and drive away spirits and demons. So Chinese folk asked it to watch over the horizontal ridges of houses. It likes to climb high and look down, so it is regarded as an ornament in folklore to pray for rain and to ward off fire. Chiwen is the child of a dragon and a fish, so its head is a dragon's head but its body is in the shape of a fish. ↓

summary and some related patterns↓ 

[cma-chinese-art]

Lobed Mirror with Paired Phoenixes and Floral Displays, 700s, Cleveland Museum of Art: Chinese Art

Lobed Mirror with Two Phoenixes and Floral Displays, 8th century ad China, Tang dynasty (ad 618-907) CMA 1995.348 [Cat. no. 66.a] Size: Diameter: 14.8 cm (5 13/16 in.); Overall: 1.1 cm (7/16 in.); Rim: 0.6 cm (1/4 in.) Medium: bronze

https://clevelandart.org/art/1995.348

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 71

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Link to ongoing Taida Translations

Chapter 71: The Eighth Door

Very soon, regarding Ruan Nanzhu's offer, Lin Qiushi had an answer—he decided to enter Cheng Yixie's ninth door together with Ruan Nanzhu.

About Lin Qiushi's decision, Ruan Nanzhu wasn't surprised. He only asked Lin Qiushi once more: "You've thought it through?"

Lin Qiushi nodded: "I've thought it through."

"The ninth door will be much more difficult. Even I can't guarantee you'll make it out safely," Ruan Nanzhu spoke bluntly. "This door may be your last."

Lin Qiushi said, "that's fine."

Ruan Nanzhu watched Lin Qiushi's face in silence for a moment, before nodding in acceptance.

Lin Qiushi thought there was something he wanted to say, but in the end, Ruan Nanzhu said nothing more.

After confirming Lin Qiushi was going with them, Ruan Nanzhu told Lin Qiushi the ninth door's hint. When he got it, Lin Qiushi read it over, and took on a look of shock: "This is a hint?"

Ruan Nanzhu, "mh."

There was a line on the paper: with bronze as mirror, one can right their apparel; with history as mirror, one can understand the tides of fortune; with people as mirror, one can gain from loss.

"What does this mean?" Lin Qiushi recalled this was a famous quote from Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, something that was even taught in textbooks. But placed within the world of the doors, a hint like this was basically no hint at all.

"I don't know," Ruan Nanzhu said. "The hints for latter doors are all more abstract. They no longer have clear indications like the ones before. So what the situation will actually be like, we can only say once inside the door."

Hint slip pinched in hand, Lin Qiushi stared at it for a long time, before saying okay.

Their time of entry was, specifically, the fifteenth of the next month. Cheng Yixie was the one who told Lin Qiushi. When he learned Lin Qiushi was going into the door with them he seemed quite calm, like he'd already predicted Ruan Nanzhu would be bringing Lin Qiushi along.

Cheng Yixie was likely the quietest person inside the mansion. He was silent all the time, except to scold his brother.

Though Cheng Qianli and Cheng Yixie were twins, their personalities were complete opposites. Cheng Qianli went about his day like an air-headed child, while Cheng Yixie was very mature.

There was still some time before they were to enter the door. Lin Qiushi continued to rest in the mansion.

In the interim Tan Zaozao and that movie legend Zhang Yiqing also came around, together with the man taking Zhang Yiqing through his doors.

That person's name was Bai Ming. In both looks and disposition he was very sunny, with his hair in light, natural curls and a cute dimple on his cheek when he smiled.

To be honest, Lin Qiushi was having a hard time linking a person like this to a major player on the inside. He was quite curious how this Bai Ming appeared inside the doors.

The question felt a bit invasive however, so Lin Qiushi didn't ask.

Zhang Yiqing's condition seemed better than before. At least he didn't look on the verge of a breakdown.

Bai Ming was very interested in Lin Qiushi as well, though he didn't dare express too much of this interest in front of Ruan Nanzhu. Lin Qiushi still noticed, though, the occasional looks of assessment.

"Yiqing's movie's premiering in May, you guys have to go see it." The first thing Bai Ming did upon arriving at the mansion was pass out Zhang Yiqing's premier tickets. "I've already seen the uncut version, it's amazing."

Sitting on the side watching Bai Ming toot his horn, Zhang Yiqing's expression didn't look too good. Lin Qiushi guessed it was a look of humiliation…

"Yiqing is absolutely incredible, I like him so much." Bai Ming professed his love looking like a whole star-chasing fanatic. Which was fine on the regular, but now that he was complimenting the man to his face, it was rather hard to bear. Lin Qiushi clearly saw that despite Zhang Yiqing's severe expression, his ears had gone completely red. Zhang Yiqing stood up, feigning calm, and said he was going out onto the balcony for a smoke.

Lin Qiushi privately thought it was really pretty funny, that this Bai Ming had Zhang Yiqing completely contained.

Tan Zaozao started loudly guffawing without holding back at all.

"Zaozao, are you going in again?" Lin Qiushi quickly calculated the time, and felt Tan Zaozao's next door ought to be soon.

"Mh," Tan Zaozao nodded. "Chen Fei's bringing me this time… How about you? Which door are you on?"

Lin Qiushi said, "still my sixth." He didn't mention that he was going into the ninth door with Ruan Nanzhu.

"Oh…" Tan Zaozao's attention seemed to wander, like she was thinking of something.

Lin Qiushi asked, "what is it?"

"Nothing," Tan Zaozao sighed. "Just wondering what to do about the doors after this." She couldn't completely drop her real life job like Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi to focus on passing the doors, and she didn't have the courage to train. This meant that for higher level doors, she'd likely have more poor fortune than good, not to mention that even Ruan Nanzhu basically didn't take on doors after the sixth.

Because people said that after the sixth door, the level of difficulty thoroughly changed. As for how it changed, Tan Zaozao wasn't sure. All she knew was that it would be tough.

The group chatted for a while over lunch. Lin Qiushi learned, through Ruan Nanzhu and Bai Ming's conversation, that the two had known each other for about four years, and counted as old friends.

Bai Ming had already passed his ninth door, and was waiting for his tenth.

After eating, Bai Ming and Ruan Nanzhu went to the study. The two seemed to have something to discuss in private.

Tan Zaozao brought Lin Qiushi and Zhang Yiqing downstairs to play games.

What the two discussed Lin Qiushi didn't know, but when they came back downstairs, both their gazes were fixed on him.

Lin Qiushi, vaguely startled, asked, "what is it?"

"Nothing," Bai Ming grinned. "Just a bit curious about you."

Lin Qiushi, "curious?"

Bai Ming asked, "don't you think there's something special about yourself?"

Lin Qiushi gave it a thought, before murmuring, "I especially like cats?" As he said this, he was poking subtly at Chestnut's toe beans, all while Chestnut side-eyed him in displeasure.

Ruan Nanzhu, "…" Sure, that could be considered a type of special.

Hearing this, Bai Ming laughed. "You really are interesting." He didn't mention anymore about Lin Qiushi though, and after sitting for another while, left with Zhang Yiqing and Tan Zaozao.

Lin Qiushi glanced at Ruan Nanzhu, seated beside him, and quietly asked, "is there something special about me?"

Ruan Nanzhu eyed him back. "What do you think?"

Lin Qiushi shook his head, uncomprehending.

Ruan Nanzhu, "you really don't feel like there's anything weird about you?"

Lin Qiushi, "no."

Ruan Nanzhu stood up. "If not then forget it." At this, he turned and left, leaving Lin Qiushi no further opportunity to ask. For some reason, Lin Qiushi felt that Ruan Nanzhu's mood had soured…

Cheng Qianli learned they were entering the ninth door as well. He was very worried; he even set up an altar in his room and began to seriously pray.

Lin Qiushi was even dragged over to light three incense sticks of his own.

"Please bless them to return safely." Cheng Qianli's manners seemed wholly pious.

Lin Qiushi didn't use to believe in such things. But the world inside the doors had completely turned his worldview upside down, so he didn't say anything disrespectful before the incense altar.

"I'm so scared." After the incense, Cheng Qianli sat on his bed, muttering to Lin Qiushi. "I'm just really, really scared."

"Don't be scared, it'll be alright." Lin Qiushi petted his head. Cheng Qianli was only sixteen; he was still half a kid. "Your Ruan-ge will be there."

"Mh," Cheng Qianli said. "I want to be stronger, so then, then I can…" At this point, he seemed a bit embarrassed.

Lin Qiushi asked, "so then you can what?"

Cheng Qianli said, "so then I can be the one protecting my brother for a change!" He puffed up his chest, looking proud.

Lin Qiushi smiled. "Mh, then you gotta work hard." Sometimes, Cheng Qianli could be so foolishly adorable.

Cheng Qianli said, "even though he has a bad temper, and he gives me the cold-shoulder all the time, he's my brother in the end, right?" He lied down on the bed, muttering to himself. "He looks exactly like me, after all…"

Lin Qiushi just sat silently listening on the side.

He honestly didn't quite understand the brotherly love Cheng Qianli spoke of. Even in his youth he'd not encountered much of a familial atmosphere, nor did he have any brothers or sisters. At twenty-six, he didn't even have a person he liked. As Lin Qiushi thought this, he suddenly found his life a bit regretful. If he died inside this door, there seemed to be a lot that he hadn't experienced.

The day of Cheng Yixie's door opening got closer and closer.

The atmosphere inside the mansion began to tense as well.

Besides Ruan Nanzhu, Cheng Yixie had the highest level door. Lin Qiushi roughly calculated Cheng Yixie's time in the doors, and discovered he would've been entering doors since he was eleven or twelve. To have survived so many doors at such a young age, Cheng Yixie really was incredible.

And his younger brother Cheng Qianli was only on door six; there must have been years between each of their first doors.

This time, Ruan Nanzhu didn't put Lin Qiushi in drag. While he was glad, there was, Lin Qiushi discovered, a thin thread of disappointment deep in his heart. When he noticed this disappointment he scared himself. He hadn't thought drag could be addictive.

Of course, Lin Qiushi very quickly processed and got rid of these disappointed feelings, since he really was glad he didn't have to pretend to be mute anymore. As for the matter of a fake voice—he still had not figured that out.

Days flew by, and soon, it was nearly time to enter the door.

The weather had also gradually gotten hot. After dinner, Lin Qiushi sat on the balcony cooling off, and saw Cheng Yixie standing in the garden downstairs. Cheng Yixie's expression was solemn, and there was a cigarette in his hand slowly being smoked.

Lin Qiushi watched him from high above, and after a while's thought, called out: "Cheng Yixie!"

Cheng Yixie looked up.

Lin Qiushi declared loudly, "minors shouldn't smoke."

Cheng Yixie furrowed his brow. He and Cheng Qianli were almost entirely identical, with the exception of that cold aura he gave off. Though he was young, that aura clearly let people know that this wasn't a person to be messed with. He listened to Lin Qiushi though, and really did put out the cigarette.

Lin Qiushi fished out a fistful of candy, and tossed them down from the second floor. "Eat these."

Colorful candies fell on the green grass like fireworks going off. They were actually quite pretty.

Cheng Yixie bent down. He picked one up, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

Lin Qiushi watched him, grinning. "Is it good? The purple one is grape flavored—" These were hard candies he ordered online, made from fruit juice. They tasted pretty good.

Cheng Yixie glanced once at him and didn't speak. He did carefully pick up all the candies however, and pocket them before walking away.

Watching him go, Lin Qiushi was pretty happy. Though Cheng Yixie entered the doors before he did, Cheng Yixie was also still a kid in his eyes, not even eighteen yet.

The day before going in, Ruan Nanzhu put on his dress. The three all wore that special bracelet, and began waiting for the door to come.

Cheng Qianli grew anxious, pacing laps up and down the house.

In the end Cheng Yixie couldn't take it anymore, frowning as he said, "quit circling, I'm going dizzy just looking at you."

Cheng Qianli, wounded, "I can't even circle around?"

Cheng Yixie, "no."

Cheng Qianli, "…hmph. Well no, I'm gonna circle." Though he said that, he still obediently took a seat back on the sofa, picking up Toast nearby to viciously rub at.

Dizzy with the rubbing, Toast blinked its big black eyes, howling in woe.

"Stop torturing it," Cheng Yixie spoke again.

Cheng Qianli, "ah, you're too much! You won't let me do this, you won't let me do that—"

Cheng Yixie didn't make a single sound in reply, just stared expressionlessly back at Cheng Qianli. And so the two faced off for ten, eleven seconds, before Cheng Qianli fell unerringly to defeat once more. With tragic eyes he released Toast's round little butt and watched the dog run away.

Cheng Yixie looked at his watch.

Cheng Qianli saw this, and only grew more agitated. His lips moved soundlessly for a bit, until, almost inaudibly, he squeezed out, "you have to come back."

Cheng Yixie glanced up once at him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you here!" Cheng Yixie said. "Are you listening to me, Cheng Yixie, you have to come back." It seemed to have taken him a while to work up the courage to say this. "You have to come back!"

Cheng Yixie made a single, faint sound of agreement.

And so Cheng Qianli was satisfied, murmuring some other fussy orders.

As the two brothers interacted, Lin Qiushi was seated right beside them. He saw with his own eyes the corners of Cheng Yixie's mouth tick up as Cheng Qianli mumbled, though the motion was faint and only momentary, easily taken as an illusion.

The door came the next evening.

After eating, Lin Qiushi had gone back to his room.

He sat in front of his computer, and was just about to press the on button, when a very peculiar feeling came over his body. It was a feeling he was familiar with—the door had opened.

Lin Qiushi got up and opened his bedroom door. He wasn't surprised at all to see that the twelve metal doors had appeared in the hallway. Of them, eight were sealed off. The other three could not be opened.

The only one that could open was Cheng Yixie's ninth door.

Lin Qiushi came to the door, and tugged it open—the scenery around him twisted, and Lin Qiushi appeared on a wide paved road.

As he took in his surroundings, he looked a bit shocked, because it wasn't some desolate wilderness about him, but a full commercial street. Colorful signs hung from either side of the road, and though it was currently late and most of the shops were closed, it was still easy to picture the bustling street by day.

The path beneath his feet was very smooth. Lin Qiushi followed it, and saw a high rise that stretched into the clouds. A special coating covered the building's exterior, making it look like it was built out of mirrors; it absorbed all the light from around it, and was attention-catching even in the dimming night.

For some reason, as he looked at this high rise, a term came to Lin Qiushi's mind: phototaxis.

Phototaxis was a type of biological habit observed in both animals and plants. The most obvious one was how insects rush at a light source at night, even if that light was a flame that would incinerate them.

Humans were animals too, Lin Qiushi thought. In the dark of night, they would always walk toward the light source they see. With no consideration for what awaited them at the other end.

The doors to the high rise were open. Lin Qiushi slowly entered, and saw eight or nine people standing in the lobby. These people had already split into groups. Seeing Lin Qiushi walk in, most took on assessing expressions.

This time, Lin Qiushi saw no newbies out of their depths.

Considering the ninth door's difficulty, if there really was a newbie, then Lin Qiushi suspected they’d been dragged into this door literally seconds before their death.

Looking about, Lin Qiushi didn't find whom he was looking for. So he took a seat on a random sofa and began observing the situation around him.

Plus him, there were nine. Five men and four women, split into roughly three groups. They were likely all old hands at this; no one was pretending not to recognize the others. Instead they were all whispering, quietly discussing the matter of this door.

Lin Qiushi sat on the sofa for a while, until he saw two people come in. One was tall and one was short. The tall one was a woman in a long skirt, the short one was a cool-faced young man.

Though their faces were completely different, Lin Qiushi could still recognize them by their clothing and looks—it was Ruan Nanzhu and Cheng Yixie.

The two also saw Lin Qiushi on the sofa and approached.

"Everyone's here?" Lin Qiushi asked.

"Not yet, I don't think." Ruan Nanzhu sat down next to Lin Qiushi. "There are still some people looking around outside. They're probably waiting for their teammates."

At this, Lin Qiushi couldn't help but be impressed by Ruan Nanzhu's skills of observation. It seemed that not minutes after coming here, he'd already collected pretty much all the information they needed on the people around them.

Indeed, after about three minutes, two more people came in from the outside, also a man and a woman. The moment they came in, they headed straight for a corner.

When Lin Qiushi saw where they went he was surprised. "They… have five to one team?"

Ruan Nanzhu, "most likely."

"Is there advantage in numbers inside the doors?" Lin Qiushi tried to think this through, but something felt off.

"To some extent, yes," Ruan Nanzhu said, leaning back on the sofa. "The more people you bring, the more death conditions you can cross out, right?"

Lin Qiushi, "…"

Ruan Nanzhu eyed the corner, and laughed something cold. "Some people will do anything to survive."

Some people, in order to rule out death conditions, purposely brought a lot of newbies into the doors. The newbies didn't understand anything, and were very easily met with accidents inside. Of course, accidents happening to them was fine. To those who'd brought them in, it was even a good thing—they filled up the daily death quotas, after all. According to the rules inside, the number of people who could die each day was limited, so those people were actually safer like this.

Lin Qiushi hadn't thought things could be done this way. "And those newbies are still willing to come in?"

"Why wouldn't they be willing?" Ruan Nanzhu replied lazily. "There are always people who want to strike it rich in a single bite."

Who didn't want to forgo everything in the middle and jump straight through the ninth door? Risk and reward were usually in equal balance; to gain something, you had to give up something.

Such was living.

The group was finally all assembled. There were seventeen people in total, split into roughly five or six groups. The largest group among them was the one with five people. Lin Qiushi had a clear feeling that, of the five, their leader was the woman with the unkind expression.

With everybody gathered in the lobby, the hubbub grew louder.

At this moment, a person in a bellhop's uniform came over from the elevator. In his hand was a stack of keycards, and he smiled at the group in the lobby.

"I do beg your pardon, we've kept everybody waiting," the bellhop said. "These are the key cards to your rooms."

He began passing out the keycards.

Someone in the group asked, "how many per room? Are these single or standard rooms?"

"They're standard rooms," the bellhop said, and smiled. "Red card rooms have one large bed, white card rooms are doubles, and green card rooms can fit three, though one will have to sleep on the sofa." His was was soft and gentle. "Welcome to your vacation here, I hope all of you have a great time."

So they were supposed to be tourists. Lin Qiushi's heart jumped a beat.

"When does our vacation end?" the leader of the five-person group suddenly spoke. "Are there any tourist destinations nearby?"

The bellhop smiled. "I will give everyone a travel guide tomorrow, and on it, all the travel destinations will be marked." He finished passing out the keycards. "Please rest well tonight, everyone."

Lin Qiushi got up and fetched them a green card. The bellhop said green card rooms could fit three. It was perfect for their trio.

The room cards gradually traded hands, and the crowd dispersed on their own.

Lin Qiushi, Ruan Nanzhu, and Cheng Yixie's room was on the thirty-fourth floor. The floor was thickly carpeted, and from the hallways exuded a thick scent of burnt incense.

The lights were very dim. When they got to the room and stuck the keycard into the power slot, all the lights inside came on.

Lin Qiushi went to the window and looked out from the glass. He saw a darkened city, all of it swathed in dead silence. Not even a streetlight could be seen—though when he came in from the outside, Lin Qiushi had seen the streetlights turned on.

Ruan Nanzhu said, "this room is very interesting."

Lin Qiushi turned around. "Hm?"

Ruan Nanzhu, "there are mirrors everywhere."

Taking a look around, Lin Qiushi discovered there were indeed many mirrors inside the room. Most unbelievable was the one on the floor.

At the sight of the mirrors, Lin Qiushi couldn't help but think of that "with bronze as mirror" line in the hint. He sensed that the key had to do with the mirrors, but the hint wasn't enough, and he couldn't yet concretely capture it.

Cheng Yixie stared at the mirror beneath his feet, and was silent for a long time. Only when Lin Qiushi was about to walk away did he suddenly and quietly say: "This is a two-way mirror."

Lin Qiushi's face froze.

Cheng Yixie spoke very slowly: "People downstairs can see into our room."

At this, Ruan Nanzhu suddenly looked down at his skirt. "Then haven't I been exposed?"

Cheng Yixie, "…"

Lin Qiushi, "…"

Ruan Nanzhu, "upon closer thought, I'm actually a bit embarrassed."

Lin Qiushi, "…" If you're so embarrassed why are you pulling your skirt up higher…

Author's Note:

Hello everyone, I'm Xi Zixu's draft folder. For the next few days I'll be bringing folks new chapters. As for Xi Zixu, she got her hand chewed off when she washed her cat yesterday.

[Ch. 70] | [Ch. 72]

[myhouseidea]

Facing Fuchun River and backed by Huang Gongwang forest park, Greentown · Rose Garden designed by GFD draws on Oriental philosophy of naturalness and coexistence, and provides a courtyard residence that features a Chinese-style aesthetic as well as a secluded lifestyle.

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  A porch leads to the interior space. The foyer, living room and dining room are finished with light gray marble flooring, with its interweaving white and gray grain injecting elegance, flexibility and peacefulness into the overall space.

The backdrop of the TV set is clad in white marbles with graceful light gray grain, presenting unique visual effects. Walls of the dining room and foyer shows perfect match of white sintered stones and black walnut wood veneers, which together produce a sedate, elegant and natural ambience. The cabinet behind the sofa has an exquisite silver mirror, which reflects light and shadows and enhances visual experiences.

A sliding door partitions the kitchen and the dining room, which is mainly composed of delicate textured glass and edged with archaized matte stainless steel, keeping a low profile. Bronze-like stainless steel strips are also applied to walls in the elevator hall, showing a sort of dim luster.

The elders’ room is set on 1F, which embraces scenery of the yard. With clean lines, a neutral tone as well as simplistic and elegant designs, it provides the elders with a peaceful and serene living environment.

Arranged on 2F, the master bedroom is expansive, bright and comfortable. The wall behind the bed presents a peaceful scene where people gather and have fun in a pavilion amongst rolling mountains, while other walls in the room are finished with fabrics, generating a fabulous spatial ambience.

Su Dongpo, the great poet of the Song Dynasty once expressed his deep love of bamboo: “I would like to have meals without meat rather than live in a place without bamboo”. Known as the “Three Friends of Winter” together with pine and plum in traditional Chinese culture, bamboo are brought into the interior and can be seen at the balcony as well.

The boy’s room is situated on the other side of 2F. It shows perfect match of wood textures and grayish blue. The blue hue injects imagination into the space, and the expansive universe backdrop wall exerts subtle influence on the cultivation of the kid’s character and temperament.

3F has a simplistic and clear layout. The leisure area continues the warm and calming atmosphere generated by black walnut wood veneers and matte stainless steel. With a modern wall featuring decorative strips, a shelf for putting books and artworks, as well as large windows that open up views to the outside terrace, it offers a cozy space for tea drinking and reading.

Filled with an elegant atmosphere, the living room is connected with the underground space via gray marble stairs. The hallway beside the staircase is embellished with artistic glass featuring patterns of landscape scenery, which extends the peaceful and serene ambience from the living room. The study is at an end of the underground mezzanine, offering the occupants a quiet and private space. Outside the handrail, multiple eye-catching transparent “leaves” are scattered from the ceiling, showing modernity, naturalness and freedom.

The underground floor is an ideal place for gathering and entertainment. The audio/video room can accommodate many guests, with a large concave sofa. It’s perfect for enjoying movies, family videos or cartoons.

The gathering area and the chess & card area are beneath the study, with the artistic pine and landscape painting producing a pleasing and cozy ambience.

The overall interior design of this Chinese-style courtyard residence incorporates the inner spirit of the painting “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains” and the essence of Chinese culture, thereby creating a secluded, peaceful and nature-embracing lifestyle.

Project name: Greentown · Fuchun Rose Garden Category: model villa Client: Greentown Location: Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Interior design firm: GFD Interior design coordination: Ye Fei Chief interior designer: Tao Zhilan Interior design team: Kang Huicai, Ge Sicong Chief decoration designer: Cai Yangyang Decoration design team: Hu Hui, Lu Xinyi Decoration execution firm: QIANDU Home Furnishings Design Co., Ltd. Area: 460 m2 Completion time: July 2019 Main materials: marble, stainless steel, walnut wood veneer, sintered stone, glass Photographers: Liu Gangqiang, Xu Shukai Text: Tang Zi

Greentown · Fuchun Rose Garden by GFD Facing Fuchun River and backed by Huang Gongwang forest park, Greentown · Rose Garden designed by GFD draws on Oriental philosophy of naturalness and coexistence, and provides a courtyard residence that features a Chinese-style aesthetic as well as a secluded lifestyle.

[blueiskewl]

Ancient Buddha Statues Unearthed From Tombs in China

What are thought to be China's oldest known bronze Buddha images have been discovered in Shaanxi province.

The two sculptures were unearthed this year in a tomb from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) in the city of Xianyang, Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology announced in Xi'an, the provincial capital, on Thursday.

Li Ming, the leading archaeologist on the site, said one of the relics, a standing statuette of the Gautama Buddha on a lotus-shaped foundation, is about 10-centimeters-high. The other piece, which is flat, is about 15-cm-high and depicts five sitting Buddhist deities.

"The discovery of the two relics is significant for studies of how Buddhism was introduced to China and got localized in our country," Li said.

Historical documents show Buddhism was first introduced to China in the first century AD. The oldest known Buddhist temple was built in AD 68 in Luoyang, Henan province, which was then the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Li said that previous archaeological findings in China indicated that standalone Buddha images with a religious purpose only appeared during the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms (304-439).

Consequently, the new findings may increase the history of Chinese Buddha images by two more centuries, he added.

The tomb where the two Buddha images were recently found is one of six in a family plot. Though the specific time when the two relics were made remains to be clarified, a pottery jar from a nearby and contemporaneous tomb in the complex has a clear marking of the year it was made, AD 158.

"This could be a benchmark for dating this graveyard," Li said. "Its owner should be a family of local officials or landlords with strong economic power."

In South China, Buddhist elements also appeared on relics during the Eastern Han Dynasty, but they were found to be used as decorations on architecture and other artifacts.

The newly found Buddha images feature typical styles of Gandhara Culture of South Asia, but material analysis indicated that these were locally manufactured.

"They showed that Buddhism came to China from South Asia via the ancient Silk Road during the boom time of the cultural exchange route," said Liu Qingzhu, a senior archaeology researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Other than the Buddha images, other burial objects were also unearthed from the graveyard, including bronze mirrors, pottery vases and sculptures of animals. They are also typical artifacts indicating the late period of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Known as Chang'an, Xi'an was the capital of the Western Han (206 BC-AD24) and Tang (619-907) dynasties, two peaks of culture and national strength in ancient China, and it remained a key metropolis in ancient China.

Consequently, numerous nobles' and high officials' tombs were excavated in Xianyang, which was on the outskirts of ancient Chang'an.

As Li revealed on Thursday, from June 2020 to November, including the Eastern Han graveyard, over 3,600 tombs ranging from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were found in Weicheng district of the city.

"In the history of Chinese archaeology, we've never found another place where we could excavate so many graveyards spanning such a long period," Li said. "It's a perfect chance to study ancient burial customs."

As the archaeological findings indicated, in the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty, public graveyards were dominant.

However, family graveyards gradually became popular after the Eastern Han Dynasty.

"The change was a result of hereditary aristocracy, and it also demonstrated people's devotion to ancestry, the homeland and rules,"Li said.

[ancientegyptianjewellery]

Mirror EGYPTIAN, CLASSICAL, ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN ART Early Dynasty 18 metalworkers continued the Middle Kingdom tradition of making mirrors with handles in the form of papyrus plants capped by heads of Hathor, a cow-eared goddess associated with love and music. The slender proportions of the drooping papyrus and the goddess's delicate facial features identify this example as an early Eighteenth Dynasty work. MEDIUM Bronze Reportedly From: Aswan, Egypt DATES ca. 1539-1478 B.C.E. DYNASTY early Dynasty 18 PERIOD New Kingdom DIMENSIONS 10 15/16 x 5 7/16 x 7/8 in. (27.8 x 13.8 x 2.3 cm)   COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art CAPTION Mirror, ca. 1539-1478 B.C.E. Bronze, 10 15/16 x 5 7/16 x 7/8 in. (27.8 x 13.8 x 2.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.638E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum DESCRIPTION Mirror and handle, both of bronze. The handle is in the form of a column with terminal in the form of a double Hathor head. Rising from the head is a highly elongated and curved papyrus umbel. Condition: Single rivet through tang. Surface of mirror much scratched and rubbed. Handle rubbed and some of the details obscured. Tang chipped. #Tutankhamun. #BritishMuseum #egyptianmuseum #MuseumFromHome #bkmegyptianart #ancientring #Egypt #AncientEgyptian #JewelryAncientEgyptian #Jewelleryancientegyptian #ringsancientegyptian #scarabsrings #scarabs  #newkingdom #jewellerybloger #instajewelry #egyptological #egyptianjewelry #tutankhamón #18Dynasty #newkingdom #metmuseum (at Brooklyn Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDEgYZ1BR7F/?igshid=1ej49q3prq54q

[delicatuscii-wasbella102]

A very fine bronze six-lobed mirror with six flower rosettes, China, 2nd half of Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo Nagel

[youfinewendy-blog]

China's earliest bronze mirrors originated from the Qijia culture more than 4,000 years ago, the latest bronze mirrors were replaced by glass mirrors at the end of the Qing Dynasty.The bronze mirror has been with mankind for more than 4,000 years.As an indispensable content in the history of ancient Chinese civilization, bronze mirror is an important subject which needs to be studied in depth.Tang Dynasty copper art, cast out on the bronze mirror animals are sea beasts, as if jumping alive, graceful posture, lively.Within a square inch a group of small animals, or squatting, or lying, or leaning, or crouching, some look left and right, some swaying head and tail.There is almost no space left in the picture, but there is a distinction between reality and fiction.Visible is to draw dragon point eye, pen bright, really reached the highest realm of arts and crafts.Ancient craftsmen not only with artistic thinking, but also with fairy-like technology, it is simply amazing!China's ancient bronze mirror fine goods, indeed has become an incredible masterpiece of art. The "sea beast grape mirror" of Tang Dynasty is 17.7 cm in diameter, 1.7 cm in thickness and heavy 1608.Fu beast mirror, no button seat, mirror division inside and outside two areas, inside area with grape leaves and vines as decorative ground lines, only five ears of large grapes on the edge of the edge of the edge embellish, the space to the maximum extent used for sculpture.The six Suhni are full-bodied, full-bodied, and full-bodied, or crouching, or lying, or jumping, or playing, all vivid and lifelike.One female of the female, Suhani, takes a small part of the mouth to protect her calves, showing her maternal affection.The other two, strong and mane-necked, were catching and biting, and one beast was sucking on the back of another beast, and the wrinkled skin of which it was sucking was clearly visible.Its superb craftsmanship and performance skills are impressive.The artistic expression of the outer region and the inner region of the same line of thought, with the large grape leaves as ground lines, grape spikes in the edge of the region embellishment, sculpture there are two running wild boar, two wings of the phoenix, a pair of male and female Mei-hua deer, two long strong thin legs flying over the mountain crane, outside the decoration except the phoenix, the rest are extremely rare in the sea beast grape mirror.The outermost area of the mirror margin is a continuous flower pattern.

bronze bald eagle statue http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/bronze-eagle-sculptures-large-bronze-eagle-statue-bokk-342.html

http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/tag/bronze-bald-eagle-statue/

bronze eagle sculptures http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/tag/bronze-eagle-sculptures/

large bronze eagle sculptures http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/outdoor-decoration-animal-statue-bronze-eagle-sculptures-bokk-340.html

large bronze eagle statue http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/bronze-eagle-sculptures-large-bronze-eagle-statue-bokk-342.html

large bronze eagle statues http://www.artsculpturegallery.com/tag/large-bronze-eagle-statues/

[panicinthestudio]

Lobed mirror with a dragon and clouds, first half of the 8th century

Tang dynasty (618 - 907), China

Cast bronze

Collection of the National Museum of Asian Art