the central knob adorned with petals, encircled by two inscriptions in seal script, within a raised band further incised with an official mark

This mirror may have been made by Ming dynasty craftsmen in imitation of the decorative patterns and inscriptions of Han dynasty bronze mirrors. It is divided into several concentric circular bands, each inscribed with a different text in a manner popular during the Han period. The inscriptions describe the mirror’s beauty and miraculous powers of illumination in an archaic idiom. The edge of the mirror is inscribed with a text that suggests that it was also produced by an imperial workshop.