Triangular-Rimmed Mirror with Deities and Beasts 三角縁同向式神獣鏡さんかくぶちどうこうしきしんじゅうきょう

Description

This is probably an example of the most famous type of bronze mirror from the Kofun period. It is known as a 'mirror with triangular rim' because the rim assumes a triangular form when viewed in profile. The design features gods, Taoist immortals, and sacred beasts. This reflects the Shenxian folk belief that proliferated in China around the second and third centuries. People back then believed in and venerated Taoist immortals, a group of legendary figures with supernatural powers and the gift of immortality. As such, these motifs were also incorporated into the designs of mirrors, which had predominantly featured geometrical patterns before then. This mirror features winged immortals and sacred beasts arranged alternately around the central nub where the cord was threaded. We can tell the mirror has a top and bottom from the positions of the immortals’ heads.

The most intriguing aspect of this mirror is the date of production. An inscription surrounds these motifs in a clockwise direction. The first character is missing and thus indecipherable, but the following characters tell us this mirror was made by someone called 'Chen Shi.' From inscriptions on other mirrors cast from the same mold, the missing character has been identified, revealing that this mirror was created in 'Zhengshi 1.' 'Zhengshi' is a Chinese era name, with 'Zhenshi 1' corresponding to 240 in the Western calendar. One year earlier, Queen Himiko of Wa, a kingdom Japan was known as at the time, dispatched an envoy to the Chinese state of Wei. In 240, Wei sent mirrors, swords, and other gifts back to the kingdom of Wa. In other words, this mirror could have been made especially to serve as one of these gifts. However, it remains shrouded in mystery, so we cannot say for certain. Furthermore, no triangular-rimmed mirrors with images of deities and beasts have ever been found in China. As such, some experts believe this type of mirror was produced in Japan based on Chinese mirrors.