On the back of this mirror is a scene in high-relief, depicting four male and female people playing a Cu-ju game: the woman, with her hair worn in a topknot, is kicking a football, while the man, wearing a scarf and leaning forward, seems to be playing defence. Two other people are watching. The scene is very vivid.
Cu-ju originated very early in our country. According to the records of “Shi Ji” (Records of the Grand Historian) and “Zhan Guo Ce” (Strategies of the Warring States), Cu-ju was very popular in the capital of Qi State, Linzi, as early as the Warring States period. In the Han and Tang dynasties, this sport began to flourish, which is recorded in historical books, Tang poetry and other literary works. In the Song Dynasty,Cu-ju developed greatly with the development of the commodity economy and the expansion of the citizen class. The craftsmanship of the ball was greatly improved, from originally stitched by six to eight pieces of sharp leather tostitched by ten to twelve pieces of cowhide. It is stuffed with a gas-filled animal bladder. The ball became rounder and easier to control and kick up. The sport became more entertaining.Cu-ju in the Song Dynasty began to develop in the direction of juggling. It became popular among the wider population: from emperors and officials to citizens, regardless of ageand gender, people all enjoyedCu-ju. With the popularization of Cu-ju, there were also specialized football clubs at that time. For example, the “Qiyun Club” and “Yuan Club” recorded in the history books had strict rules and taught specialized Cu-ju skills and moral norms. There are also special sports venues for Cu-ju lovers in the city. Some large banquets and store promotions are often accompanied by Cu-ju performances. At that time, there were also many “stars” known for their high level of skills. For example, the names of five masters such as Fan Lao'er were recorded in “Wu Lin Jiu Shi” (Old Tales in Society). There are also many existing cultural relics about Cu-ju scenes in the Song Dynasty. For example, the National Museum of China and Hunan Provincial Museum both preserve bronze mirrors with patterns depicting Cu-juscenes from the Song Dynasty, and there are also porcelain pillows depicting Cu-juwith women and children in the Song Dynasty.