This is a Tang Dynasty sun, moon and stars Wuyue zodiac gossip mirror (see picture), round, mountain square button, diameter 21 cm. There are the same mountain word square on the four sides of the button edge, the size is slightly larger, and the button together means five mountains, the four corners of each cast inscription four words, the first word in the upper left corner is the sky, 16 words are read continuously, the meaning is not clear.

This is a Tang Dynasty sun, moon and stars Wuyue zodiac gossip mirror (see picture), round, mountain square button, diameter 21 cm. There are the same mountain word square on the four sides of the button edge, the size is slightly larger, and the button together means five mountains, the four corners of each cast inscription four words, the first word in the upper left corner is the sky, 16 words are read continuously, the meaning is not clear. It should be read as: "Heaven and earth contain images, the sun and the moon are bright, all things are written, and a hundred spirits are discerned." The meaning is that this Taoist mirror can contain all things in heaven and earth. The periphery of the inscription is a box-shaped water ripple and a gossip pattern. In the space of the Bagua square frame and the string pattern of a week, the sun and moon are up and down, the stars are on the left and right, and there are colorful clouds on both sides of the sun, moon and stars. Zodiac image of a week on the outside of the embossed string.

This type of mirror was carefully designed by the Taoist priest Sima Chengzhen for Tang Xuanzong. The main concepts of Taoism: the heaven and the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, the five mountains and the four profanities, the zodiac gossip and other contents have been contained in the small bronze mirror. This mirror is larger in size in the same kind of mirror, the position of the gossip is correct (according to the gossip of King Wen: dry in the northwest, Kun in the southwest), and the position of the zodiac is not bad (the son is due north in the lower system, and the noon is due south), which should be the standard product of this kind of mirror.

We will analyze the Taoist connotation of this bronze mirror from the development of Taoism.

Let's start with the gossip pattern on the periphery of the inscription. In the space of the Bagua square frame and the string pattern of a week, the sun and moon are up and down, the stars are on the left and right, and there are colorful clouds on both sides of the sun, moon and stars. Bagua is a symbol that expresses simple philosophical thoughts, reflecting the meaning of the changes of all things in the world. After the absorption of Taoism, it became a sacred symbol of Taoism, containing the principle of yin and yang change, and after the mystification of Taoism, the gossip text was given the meaning of warding off evil spirits and disgusting victory, which prevailed in the Tang Dynasty. Tang Xuanzong believed in Taoism and had a close relationship with Sima Chengzhen, a famous Taoist in the Tang Dynasty. Sima Chengzhen presented a gossip pattern mirror to Tang Xuanzong on the Thousand Autumn Festival, which is the pattern of this bronze mirror. This mirror is round and square, symbolizing the round place of the sky, even the mountain pattern button, the button is decorated with four mountain patterns around the button, symbolizing the five mountains, the five mountains are the symbol of the four gods since the Han Dynasty, the five mountains are engraved between the sixteen characters of the seal book: heaven and earth contain images, the sun and the moon are bright, the rules are written on all things, and the insight is a hundred spirits. These form the center of the bronze mirror, which is decorated with ripples to imitate the four profanities. The four mountains and rivers and the gods of heaven and earth are all placed in the square gossip, the gossip is arranged in the gossip of King Wen, the dry is located in the northwest, the Kun is in the southwest, the south is away from the north kan, the earthquake is in the east and the west, and Gen and Xun are separated in the northeast and southeast. The sun, moon and stars are separated outside the gossip, and the outermost circle is decorated with 12 zodiac patterns. Sima Chengzhen concentrated the biochemistry of Taoism on all things in heaven and earth in the bronze mirror, and dedicated the bronze mirror to Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty at the same time as the article "Shangqing Hanxiang Sword Diagram". The mirror is deeply loved by Xuanzong, and the royal pen Zhu criticized a poem "Answer Sima Chengzhen on the Sword Mirror": "The treasure shines with heaven and earth, and the sword is yin and yang." The sun and the moon are beautiful, and the stars are cut articles. Write to appreciate the appearance and quality, and admire it for personal defense. From here to enjoy playing, Yongde has a long age. Sima Chengzhen was a master of Taoism in Nanyue in the Tang Dynasty, and his understanding of Taoist gossip should not be wrong, so Taoism in the Tang Dynasty gave the gossip a more far-reaching meaning. Since then, the Bagua text has become a symbol of Taoism, and flourished on coins and bronze mirrors. Although due to the rise and fall of Taoism, there are few bronze mirrors of Bagua after the Song Dynasty, but in the folk, the Bagua Taiji diagram composed of Bagua and Tai Chi is used by Taoism and divination, and its meaning is gradually mystified, so that the magic power is vast, it can suppress demons and drive away evil spirits, and at the same time it is used by the ruling class as a tool to promote the Mandate of Heaven and superstitious thoughts. Therefore, there are still many gossip patterns in various eras.

Secondly, let's talk about the "zodiac" pattern. The 12 zodiac signs are also known as the 12 hours, the 12 Chen, the 12 genera or the 12 images, and its customs are well-known in our country, and women and children are well known. However, when it comes to its origin, there are different opinions. The "Continuation of the Chronicle" of the Five Dynasties of Shu Majian thought that it originated from the Yellow Emperor, "The Yellow Emperor established the 12 Chens of the Ugly Son to the name of the month, and the famous beast with the 12 Chen." Qing Zhaoyi's "Cough Yu Cong Kao" is believed to have originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the 12 zodiac signs entered a prosperous period. The 12 zodiac signs of the Sui and Tang dynasties are either seen in the bronze mirror pattern, or in the epitaph trim, or in the stone coffin line carving, and there are a large number of figurines with rich images. And the figurines themselves have terracotta figurines, porcelain figurines, stone figurines, iron figurines, and wooden figurines, which can be described as varied and all-encompassing. The 12 zodiac bronze mirrors were mainly popular in the Sui and early Tang dynasties. However, due to the spread of Taoism, the folk zodiac as a thing to ward off evil spirits has been displayed in various patterns and spread to various eras.

As for the mirror button and the five mountains that are represented around it, Taoism refers to the five immortal mountains, namely Guangcheng Mountain in the east, Changli Mountain in the south, Linong Mountain in the west, Guangye Mountain in the north, and Kunlun Mountain in the middle (see Yang Shen's "Dan Lead General Record: Geography" quoted in the "Tao Jing"). These fairies are not only the abode of the gods, but also the treasure land of cultivating immortals.

From the content discussed above, it can be seen that the content of this bronze mirror is full of the simple Taoist ideas of the ancients on astronomy, geography, and humanities, and the current research on the bronze mirror is far from enough. Therefore, collecting and studying these well-cast, beautiful texts and rich connotations of these bronze mirrors can intuitively understand the ancient Chinese folk culture, so it has an important value.