Han Dynasty Bronze Mirror with Four Nipples and Eight Birds blade potentially placed in Vicús burials

potentially placed in Vicús burials as offerings to nourish the deceased in the afterlife

revealed a wealth of funerary artifacts that have since reshaped our understanding of early West African cultures

where local chiefdoms and centers of power practiced agricultural and fertility rituals

pearl-hued glass

and a narrow open mouth

Han Dynasty Bronze Mirror with Four Nipples and Eight Birds blade potentially placed in Vicús burialsHan Dynasty, c. 206 BC 220AD, China A beautifully cast and substantial bronze mirror from the Han Dynasty, displaying an attractive silvery grey patina and exemplifying the elegant restraint and technical sophistication of early Chinese metalwork. Circular in form, the reverse is centered by a perforated suspension knob encircled by a narrow hatched band. Surrounding this is the principal decorative field, comprising four raised nipples alternating