A floral mirror with ship, cloud and dragon motif and inscription, green corroded

Description:

Korea, 12th cent.
D. 17 cm
During the Goryeo dynasty, Buddhism flourished in Korea and Buddhist themes and symbols adorned many artefacts. The shape of this mirror is modelled on a lotus flower, a Buddhist symbol of purity. The scene probably depicts a spirit boat carrying the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. Dragons frolic in a cosmic sea, and one of them blinds the boat on its way. The inscription gives an indication that the image thematises the transition from life to the afterlife: "Clear, wide, shining sky" (Hwangbi changcheon 煌丕昌天).
Old and important German private collection, collected from the 1950s until 2007
A very similar mirror can be found in the collection of the Mineapolis Museum of Art from the Mary Griggs Burke Collection, inv. no. 2015.79.518 - Green corroded