'62 CHINESE IDEAS OF ANTIQUES 



after he has followed such directions, it will be most im- 

 probable that flowers or knobs will appear on the mirror. 



If ancient, flower reflecting mirrors are carefully ex- 

 amined, it will be found that the copper is all of one colour 

 and not of two colours as the imitations are supposed to be. 



Ancient w T ater chestnut flower reflecting mirrors (^g^lfcgt) 

 when placed under the rays of the sun distinctly show their 

 water chestnut flowers, while on the back of the mirror earth 

 corrosions are unmistakably present. 



As curio dealers do not generally appreciate the value 

 of earth corrosions, hence they try to patch them up to meet 

 the popular taste. These patches can hardly be detected at 

 first sight, but if placed in the light of the sun, dark shady 

 marks can easily be detected. These shady marks are, 

 however, quite different from the real thing and must not 

 be mistaken for the flowers to be seen on the ancient flower 

 reflecting mirrors. The art of manufacturing these ancient 

 flower reflecting mirrors is still an unsolved mystery; but 

 it seems quite certain that there was some magic art con- 

 nected with it, which is very difficult to unravel and explain. 

 While investigating this mystery, it has gradually become 

 known that the cunning artificers of the T'ang period 

 moulded their wares in the centre of a flowing stream on 

 the fifth of the fifth moon. 



Ancient copper wares may have lost an ear, or a leg, or 

 the vessel may have a puncture, aperture, or be otherwise 

 broken, cracked or chipped. These defects can be repaired, 

 either by dashing a cold section against a hot one or a hot 

 one against a cold one. 1 By using the cold dashing method, 

 the ancient colour will be preserved. If the hot dashing 

 method is adopted the vessel will be blackened and its value 

 considerably reduced. If the scooping method is used 

 along with the cold soldering art then wax is used to gloss 

 over the interior and yellow mountain clay is used to cover 

 over the whole exterior and fill up the patch, and make its 

 appearance similar to a freshly excavated antique. These 

 articles though patched and smeared over with clay and wax, 

 are not to be reckoned among the counterfeits, but may be 

 accepted and passed as real antiques with the reservation 

 that they are patched articles. 



There is another speciality in ancient copper ware 

 which is worthy of some mention. It is that there are some 

 articles composed of ancient pieces skilfully pieced together. 

 All the pieces being ancient and by piecing them together a 



1 1 have been unable to get an exact explanation of the phrase. 

 The art as practised is now obsolete. 



