Mirror with Game Board Design. Culture: China. Dimensions: Diam. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm).The diagrammatic decoration on the back of this mirror points to a new cosmology. The square world--aligned with the four cardinal directions and inscribed with the "twelve earthly branches" used to compute the calendar--is surrounded by the circular heavens ringed in turn by the waves of the cosmic ocean. Sharing the heavenly realm with the animals of the four directions are T-, L-, and V-shaped markings that recall the same design on the liubo game board, suggesting that a game of chance also plays a part in the workings of the universe. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.