Details
CollectionStraits Chinese Collection
Object numberB2012-0006-055-0
TitleBrown & gold framed mirror (1 of 2)
DescriptionWhile this piece resembles the large mirrors made for the walls of European houses, Chinese elements in the detailing suggest that the makers had the local market in mind.
The design at the base of the mirror is a pair of Chinese lions with a ball at the base of the mirror frame. Chinese lions may have been modelled after the Pekinese dog, also referred to as ‘Lion-Dog’. The breed was cherished in Chinese imperial households.
The cresting is an openwork wood carving. The floral depiction is stylized but the presence of phoenixes suggests that the flower is a peony, for the two are traditionally paired in Peranakan art.
(NUS Baba House, Architecture and Artefacts of a Straits Chinese Home, Page 54)
Object categoryFurniture
Dimensions
H: 245 cm
W: 121 cm
W: 121 cm
Credit lineGift of Ms Agnes Tan Kim Lwi
