Beschreibung:

FIVE VARIOUS BRONZE MIRRORSHan to Ming Dynasty Comprising: a small handled-mirror, cast with a boy and female deity below a crane amongst clouds; a small mirror with sunburst design to the centre encircled by abstract motifs and hachured bands; another with a band of stylised creatures and four bosses to the well; another of plain form with a calligraphic cartouche to the well; and a small mirror with stylise characters within a sawtooth band. The largest 15cm (5 7/8in) longFootnotesProvenance: Dr Walter Rieder (1890-1986) 來源：Walter Rieder博士（1890-1986）舊藏 Dr Walter Rieder (1890-1986) served in the Swiss East Asia Mission (SOAM) in Qingdao, Shandong Province, between October 1930 and December 1951. The mission specialised in educational, literary and philanthropic work and Dr Rieder was in fact, not a theologian or missionary, but a teacher of mathematics, physics and science to high school students attached to the SOAM. His guiding principles were 'Creating understanding between different cultures' and 'Building bridges between East and West'. While in Qingdao, Dr Rieder collected a wide variety of Chinese art. The objects in the collection thus offer a unique window into the type of antiques that were on the market in Qingdao in the second quarter of the 20th century. As well as demonstrating his passion for Chinese art, his collection also reveals the personal friendships Dr Rieder forged with local artists, some of whom he knew from his teaching activities. Dr Rieder had a scholarly approach to studying his collection. Alongside many of his objects, meticulous notes can sometimes be found detailing his art historical commentaries. The collection was hence Dr Rieder's gateway to the history and culture of China. Objects from the collection were exhibited at the Kunsthaus in Interlaken, Switzerland in 2006 and 2018.