Mirror

Cast metal mirror with highly polished looking surface and relief decoration of cranes, a tortoise, and trees by a lake on the reverse. The handle is wrapped up in strips of bamboo so that it can be held comfortably. Mirrors of this form, with a lacquered case for storage are the typical for the 19th c. until they began to be replaced by glass mirrors. The decorated surface has two inscrtriptions: Takasago 高砂, a place name, in large characters, perhaps indicating that this mirror was made a souvenir for visitors to that place. The smaller line of text reads: 藤原光永作, "Made by Fujiwara Mitsunaga." Many 19th century Japanese mirrors carry names of mebmers of the Fujiwara family of mirror makers.