MIROIR D'ORACLE (MELONG) EN LAITON TIBET, VERS LE XIVE SIÈCLEMIROIR D'ORACLE (MELONG) EN LAITONTIBET, VERS LE XIVE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 205157 13.8 cm (5 3/8 in.) diamA BRASS ORACLE MIRROR (MELONG)TIBET, CIRCA 14TH CENTURY西藏 約十四世紀 銅護法鏡This brass mirror (melong) has a loop at the top of the plate with a rivet decorated with a protective mask. The surface of the mirror is engraved with scrollwork. In Tibet, an oracle wears traditional attire, including a mirror worn on his chest. He looks into the mirror through another mirror held by an attendant in front of him. Through this doubly distant vision, the oracle reads the future and gives advice.Compare with a related example attributed to circa 14th century published in Weldon & Singer, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet, London, 1999, p. 141, no. 59 and in the collection of the British Museum, London (1948,0712.2).