馬的文化 The Horse in Chinese Culture

放大圖片

翼馬紋鏡 Mirror with winged horse

唐 Tang dynasty （公元618 – 907年）

西安博物院藏 Xian Museum

　鏡呈八瓣葵花形，圓紐。主區兩馬盛裝足踏蓮花挾紐而對，似正在翩翩起舞。紐上方有兩飛鵲噙著花枝一前一後展翅飛翔。紐下方為一株折枝花，八葵瓣內流雲和折枝花相間排列。唐代銅鏡的製造達到了巔峰，反映當時社會的繁榮昌盛。古代歐亞各地的藝術作品中有許多不同的翼獸造型種類，並結合神話傳說。中國翼獸題材的青銅禮器早於東周時出現，說明上古時期中原地區與來自歐亞的遊牧文化交往源遠流長。

　This round mirror has a scalloped edge with eight lobes and a round knob in the middle. Two horses decked out in their finery can be seen facing each other and stepping on lotus, seemingly dancing. Above the knob are two flying magpies, one behind the other, each with a sprig of flower in their beaks. Below the knob is a flower. Cloud patterns and flowers alternate with one another in the lobes at the edges. The manufacture of mirrors reached a peak during the Tang dynasty, a reflection of society's affluence at the time. Winged beasts of mythical and religious origins often featured on works of art of the peoples that lived in the ancient Eurasian land mass. In China, bronze ware featuring winged beasts appeared as early as the Eastern Zhou dynasty, suggesting that there is a very long history of cultural exchanges between the Central Plains in China and the Eurasian grasslands. 　■資料：香港歷史博物館