Kagami Japanese Mirror In Its Lacquer Case

Beautiful Kagami, Japanese mirror dating from the Meïji period (1852-1912). It comes with its lacquer case. The mirror is in good condition, the lacquer case is slightly damaged on the outside. The dimensions indicated are those of the case. The mirror measures 33 x 23.5 cm Kagami are Japanese metal mirrors with a polished side and always a little convex, so that the images are reduced and a side decorated by engraving, molding or inlay of gold or silver. silver. These mirrors are the ancestors of current mirrors. They were used until the middle of the 19th century. The peoples of the Far East, the Chinese and the Japanese, knew of no other mirrors than metallic mirrors. The oldest mirrors found in Japan date from the Yayoi era. A period of Japanese history extending from -400 BC. to 250 AD. More precisely it seems that the oldest copies date back to -300 BC. The first mirrors used in Japan came from China. These mirrors, however, are initially only the reproduction of copies from China. It was only over time that Japanese makers introduced local motifs into it. It is very likely that they had a religious use from the start, as many were found inside temples. Buried in the huge tombs (Kofun) with the high dignitaries, they were the symbol of authority and were transmitted from generation to generation. This value was then transmitted to the Shinto religion. The mirror was also considered the symbol of honesty and truth. This symbolism is simply explained by the very property of the mirror, to faithfully reflect the reflection of reality. The functional side only appeared late. The Kagami can be bronze or iron, of various shapes and sizes is always portable. Although a large majority of mirrors are round, there are some with different shapes. The majority of mirrors were handleless, with a central hole to be able to attach a cord to suspend it. But the most beautiful examples had a delicately worked handle. The greatest refinement was the Oni-Kagami. These had a polished face so worked that incident light or mist made patterns appear on the ice. If the face of the mirror is necessarily polished, its back is always embellished with decorations. These decorations can represent houses, deities, marine animals, etc. Source: https://www.proantic.com/magazine/kagami-miroirs-metal-japonais/