Authentic Japanese bronze mirror, 6+3 cranes, D=9.5, Edo period (1600-1868); Five adult cranes and three baby cranes. Cranes are symbols of fidelity and happiness in the family. Nice patina all over. Weight: 3 lb. 5 oz. = 1kg 500 g; Diameter: 9.5 in. = 24 cm = 240 mm; Total length with a handle: 14 in. = 35 cm; Rim: 5 mm, rectangular; Mirror surface: flat, nicely polished, can be used as a mirror; Material: bronze; Signed by the artist on the right side. Condition: excellent References: Japanese bronze mirrors Bronze mirrors were introduced into Japan from China and Korea during the Yayoi period (about 300 BC - AD 300). At first they had a religious function and were regarded as symbols of authority. The Japanese soon learnt to make their own mirrors using the lost-wax technique, decorating them with Chinese or native Japanese designs. By the Nara period (AD 710 -794) mirrors were being made for everyday use, with the increasing use of Japanese designs, such as native plants and animals symbolizing good fortune. From the Kamakura period (1185-1333) a design showing Hôraizan (the Chinese 'Island of Immortality') became popular. Mirrors gradually became more robust. They mostly have a central boss, often in the shape of a tortoise, which was pierced and a cord passed through for holding. More new designs and the first handled mirrors appeared in the Muromachi period (1333-1568). During the Edo period (1600-1868), mirrors decorated with lucky symbols or Chinese characters were given at weddings. Mirrors became larger as hairstyles became more ornate; some mirrors in Kabuki theater dressing-rooms were up to fifty centimeters across and were placed on stands. The faces of mirrors were highly polished or burnished, with itinerant tanners and polishers specializing in this work. Since the mirror, together with the sword and the jewel, were symbols of Imperial power, mirror-makers were deeply revered and often given honorary titles such as Tenka-Ichi ('First under Heaven'). However, this title was often misused and was officially prohibited in 1682
Condition Perfect, several spots of green patina and oxidation;
Low Estimate: 1000;
High Estimate: 3000;
Original: Yes;