神獣鏡|Mirror (Shinjūkyō) Based on Han Dynasty Prototype with Cosmological Design

Unknown

4th–5th century · Bronze · Asian Art

The Japanese “deity and beast mirror” (shinjūkyō) is an ancient type of round bronze mirror decorated with images from Chinese mythology and cosmology. The obverse of this example features a polished mirror, while relief representations of Chinese deities and legendary creatures decorate the reverse. As Chinese bronze-casting technology spread, these mirrors were produced in Japan, beginning in the Kofun period. Based on their mysterious ability to reflect all things (a property they share with swords and jewels), mirrors are attributed with profound religious significance and have been used in Shinto rituals since ancient times.

Artist

Unknown

Date

4th–5th century

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975