Japanese magic mirror box1/5/2024 ![]() ![]() “It’s not reflecting the decoration on the back of the mirror, but an image hidden inside the mirror, like a miracle. The ancient art of Chinese magic mirrors was first developed during the Han dynasty, around 2,000 years ago, though they were also later made in Japan. They were more technologically complex, showing no trace of their projected designs. Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror / Hottarake No Shima - Haruka To Maho No Kagami Hottarakashi Box Limited Edition. The curator believes the Buddhist versions developed during the Ming Dynasty and were likely used for worship of Amitābha, with adherents chanting the invocation to gain rebirth into the Western Paradise after death. Made in China from very early on, they also became popular in Japan for both religious and secular. Mirrors of this type are called magic mirrors, or maky in Japanese. The back of the mirror bears the six-character phrase Namu Amida Butsu (Hail the name of Amida Buddha). These early designs were traditional, consisting of repetitive circular patterns and auspicious sayings, and they were used for ritual purposes. The image is only revealed under special lighting conditions. ![]() Mirrors are also admired as artistic objects, as they have. Within Japanese culture, mirrors are one of the most potent symbols of power, revered as sacred objects representing the gods. The origins of magic mirrors can be traced to the second century BCE, during the Han Dynasty, Sung says, when people held small mirrors in front of sunlight to cast decorations on their backs onto a wall. Mirrors are usually considered primarily as implements for personal grooming but, in Japan, mirrors were used for far more than reflecting one's image. The Cincinnati Art Museum’s mirror, however, uses traditional characters, suggesting that it was made in China. Both date to the Edo period and feature the same six-character chant to Amitābha in simplified Chinese characters, which were commonly used in Japan. One is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum and another in that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In part because of their cryptic nature, however, few others have been identified. With no complete record to reference, Sung has been piecing together its history and significance by looking at other examples of magic mirrors. The mirror was accessioned in 1961 but entered the collection earlier. “To our surprise, we found that it does indeed project a hidden image of the Buddha.” ![]() “Just by chance I asked our object conservator to do a test, to shine a light on the back to see if it has this magic nature,” Sung says. During her research she learned about Buddhist magic mirrors, which typically featured the same inscription: “Hail to Amitābha Buddha”-the Buddha of Infinite Light-on the back. Sung, who had last displayed the work in 2017 in an exhibition on Japanese arms and armour, revisited the mirror because she was on the hunt for more Buddhist objects to include in a rehang of the galleries. This makes for a very versatile and amazing prop. Not only can you produce materials from a seemingly empty box, but now you can perform changes, such as changing one silk into another. Front and back of the Buddhist bronze mirror, China or Japan (15–16th century). Magic - Trick A new version of the age old Mirror Box. ![]()
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