Ancient Khmer Bronze Mirror - 20 cm

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Court or ritual mirror with a prominent edge
Khmer Empire
Bayon period, 12th – 13th century
Bronze
Diameter: 16.5 cm Edge thickness: 1 cm
Presented on a suitable stand: 20 cm tall

Circular bronze cast mirror, with a robust and streamlined structure typical of Bayon-era production. Designed with a prominent one-centimeter-thick edge that creates a shallow cupped recess. The back is adorned with fine concentric circular mouldings incised in low relief, underscoring the object's perfect roundness and structuring the space. The upper part bears a substantial sandy and earthy concretion from origin, solidly fused to the patina.

The reflective face is slightly convex and originally polished very finely to obtain a highly reflective surface. It today bears a dark patina, smooth and vitreous in places, beautifully contrasted by verdigris oxidation efflorescences (copper carbonate) on the rim.

In the Khmer Empire, bronze mirrors were luxury objects associated with the aristocracy and anointing rituals. Beyond their secular use for the court’s grooming, they possessed a strong symbolic and religious dimension, embodying spiritual clarity, capturing divine light, and being used by the clergy to reflect images of deities and dispel negative influences during ceremonies. The sobriety of the lines of this specimen highlights the technical mastery of Khmer founders in alloy formulation (often enriched with tin to lighten the metal and optimize the reflection).

Condition
Excellent archaeological condition. The piece’s structural integrity is perfectly preserved, with no fissures or major losses. The dual patina, earthy and rough on one side, smooth and intensely mineral on the other, offers a striking visual testimony to its long sojourn in a burial environment.

Provenance: Kanaka The Collection since 2021

Shipped with UPS and insured