Object

Mirror with Mount Penglai and Buddhist deity

Keio Object Hub
Date
制作年 AD14
Title
ホウライキョウミショウタイ
Materials, techniques and shape
Collections
Depository
Keio Museum Commons Campus Mita
Ref. number
AW-CEN-000373-0000
License
CC BY Images license
Creditline

慶應義塾(センチュリー赤尾コレクション)

URL
Classification
Art
AI Tagging
Head Eye Coin Grey Nickel

Mount Penglai (Jap. Horai-san), the island mountain of the immortals according to Chinese legend, is depicted on the back of this mirror, while the reflective surface is decorated with an image of Amitabha. In ancient times, mirrors were more than mere toilet articles. When an image of Buddha or another deity was inscribed, the mirror was called a mishotai, an object of worship, as it was considered to reflect the image of the deity. Inscriptions of Buddhist deities in particular represent the Japanese philosophy of honji suijaku, or Shinto/Buddhist syncretism. Scholars, however, are obliged to re-interpret such practice since mirrors reflecting similar concepts have been discovered in China. In mirror production, a Buddhist image was line-drawn on the reflective side. Later, a similar depiction in low relief was commonly pasted on a simple copper plate, not a mirror, and was worshipped as a kakebotoke, or “deity image on metal or wood.”

Rights

Ref. number
AW-CEN-000373-0000
License
CC BY
Creditline

慶應義塾(センチュリー赤尾コレクション)

Images
license

Depository and ID

Depository
Keio Museum Commons
Campus Mita
URL
Classification
Art

Components

OPEN DATADESIGN

Details

Identifiers

Title (EN)
Mirror with Mount Penglai and Buddhist deity

Physical description

Weights and quantities
Quantity 1面

Identifiers

Title (EN)
Mirror with Mount Penglai and Buddhist deity

Physical description

Weights and quantities
Quantity 1面