Chinese sun and moon mirrors water. (Laufer 1915: 221-222). Owing to the similarities of Chinese "yangsui" and "fangzhu" mirrors with Indian "sūryakānta" and "candrakānta" stones, Tang (1935) proposes a trans-cultural diffusion from China to the Mughal Empire. Chinese sun and moon mirrors The yángsuì 陽燧 or sun-mirror was an ancient Chinese burning-mirror that concentrates sunlight to ignite tinder and the fāngzhū 方諸 or moon-mirror was a device that collects nighttime dew by condensation. These two bronze implements are literary metaphors for yin and yang, associating the ""yang"-mirror" "yangsui" with the sun (a.k.a. "tàiyáng" 太陽 "great "yang""), fire, dry, and round, and the ""yin"-mirror" "fangshu" with
Chinese sun and moon mirrors respond with fire: the pure essence of "yang". When placed before the moon—the ultimate "yin" 陰 phenomenon in the world—they respond with water: the pure essence of "yin". Thus mirrors offer the paradigm for "proper responsiveness": they reflect the true essence of the ultimate "yin" and "yang"—the alpha and omega of phenomena in early Chinese cosmology." (Carr and Ivanhoe 2000: 56) Erin Cline says the early Chinese attributed mirrors to have a mysterious power and great religious significance. The ceremonial bronze "fusui" 夫遂 and "yangsui" 陽燧 mirrors were seen as active, responsive objects because they could be used to produce