In ancient China, the earliest form of makeup mirror was the bronze mirror. It first appeared in the Neolithic Age. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, bronze mirrors were mainly used for sacrifices and had simple patterns. During the Han Dynasty, the production of bronze mirrors flourished. They had various patterns and inscriptions, not only used for daily grooming but also as precious items for gifts and burials. In the Tang Dynasty, bronze mirrors reached their peak. With exquisite craftsmanship, they had beautiful shapes and rich decorative patterns, such as the famous sea – horse grape mirror, reflecting the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
During the Song Dynasty, the style of bronze mirrors tended to be simple and practical. In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, due to the development of other handicrafts, the production of bronze mirrors gradually declined, but they were still an important part of people’s daily lives.
In the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, with the influx of Western culture, glass mirrors gradually replaced bronze mirrors. Glass mirrors had better clarity and were more convenient to use. They became popular among people and gradually became an essential item in people’s dressing tables.
Today, with the development of technology, makeup mirrors in China have become more diverse. There are not only ordinary handheld mirrors and table – mounted mirrors, but also smart makeup mirrors with lighting and magnification functions, meeting people’s different needs for beauty and makeup. The history of makeup mirrors in China reflects the development of culture, technology, and people’s aesthetic changes over thousands of years.
