ANTIQUE FINE ART, ARMS & ARMOR, JULY 13th, 24
Lot 3345:
Beautiful antique Japanese mirror or kagami made from cast bronze, together with the original lacquered wood case. Bronze mirrors were introduced into Japan from China during the Yayoi period (about 300 BC – AD 300). Early Japanese mirrors used a number of designs based on Chinese originals. Their function was mainly religious as they were regarded as symbols of authority. Later, the Japanese soon learn to make their own mirrors using the lost-wax technique, decorating them with Chinese or traditional Japanese designs. The faces of mirrors were highly polished or burnished, with itinerant tinners and polishers specializing in this work. Bronze mirrors were replaced by glass mirrors after the Meiji Restoration (1868). These pieces were popular as wedding gifts, with the decoration usually symbolic of eternity and harmony. This very beautiful round hand mirror has a low relief decoration to the back with pine trees, and cranes set in a traditional Japanese landscape. Cranes mate for life, so they are often used as emblems of marital fidelity. They also appear at New Year to signify long life.Size: 18 3/4" x 13", D 13". ~ . Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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