Cincinnati Art Museum Discovers That a Rare 16th Century Mirror Reveals a Hidden Image When Illuminated
Buddhist bronze mirror, 15–sixteenth century, China or Japan, bronze, Supply Unknown, Cincinnati Artwork Museum, x 1961.2. All pictures by Rob Deslongchamps, courtesy of Cincinnati Artwork Museum, shared with permission
Previous to the ubiquity of the glass mirrors we use immediately, folks usually peered into polished bronze for a low-fi glimpse of their reflection. These objects usually featured forged three-dimensional symbols or renderings on the aspect reverse the convex reflective floor, however one other significantly clever subset additionally contained an added dimension of thriller.
Whereas plumbing the archives on the Cincinnati Art Museum, curator Hou-mei Sung uncovered what seemed to be an strange patinaed mirror printed with the identify of Amitābha Buddha. After nearer inspection, although, she realized that the small bronze piece would reveal a hidden picture of the religious determine enshrined in rays when illuminated.
Dubbed a “Magic Mirror,” the extraordinarily uncommon work is a part of a small assortment of light-penetrating objects that date again to the Han dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE)—only some related Buddhist items from China and Japan are thought to exist and are at the moment housed on the Shanghai Museum, Tokyo Nationwide Museum, and Metropolitan Museum of Artwork. Sung’s discovery is presumed to be the oldest uncovered, and though it’s nonetheless unclear precisely how historical artisans created the items, it was possible a spiritual ornament hung in a temple or the house of a rich household.
In the event you’re in Cincinnati, you possibly can see the mirror and its secret picture beginning July 23.
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