Mirror
1400-1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The first mirrors to be used in Japan were imported from Korea and China and it was not until the 4th century AD that the Japanese began to make their own, cast from bronze. The mirror faces were polished and, from the 11th century, made more reflective by applying a thin layer of tin. They were lifted and held by a cord that passed through a hole in the raised boss – which often took the form of a tortoise – on the centre back.
At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with a scene of cranes, pines and bamboo by the seashore, a conventional assemblage of symbols for longevity.
At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with a scene of cranes, pines and bamboo by the seashore, a conventional assemblage of symbols for longevity.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, mirrors |
| Physical description | Round mirror with cast decoration on back of cranes, pines and bamboo by the sea shore. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1901. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The first mirrors to be used in Japan were imported from Korea and China and it was not until the 4th century AD that the Japanese began to make their own, cast from bronze. The mirror faces were polished and, from the 11th century, made more reflective by applying a thin layer of tin. They were lifted and held by a cord that passed through a hole in the raised boss – which often took the form of a tortoise – on the centre back. At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with a scene of cranes, pines and bamboo by the seashore, a conventional assemblage of symbols for longevity. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 722-1901 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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