Item number: X29

Year: circa AD 1603-1868

Material: Bronze

Size: 74.3 x 53.2 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 45.75 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2023

This bronze mirror is attributed to the Edo period (AD 1603–1867).

The object is rectangular, with its height exceeding its width, and features a plain, unadorned mirror surface. The reverse side is equipped with two bosses aligned along the central axis—one positioned towards the upper section and the other towards the lower—both of which are slightly raised and hemispherical, with lateral perforations to facilitate suspension cords. The central field is occupied by the primary motif, which depicts the foliage and stems of the sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica), interspersed with clustered berries. Inscribed in the lower-left corner is ‘Tsuda Satsuma-no-kami’, the moniker of a renowned master mirror-smith. The background surrounding the decorative patterns and the inscription has been stippled using the ishime-guchi (stone-texture punching) technique to produce a rough, granular surface texture reminiscent of natural stone.

The genealogy of the Japanese wakyo (indigenous Japanese mirror) can be traced back to the Yayoi period (c. 300 BC–AD 250), during which Han-style imported mirrors from the Chinese mainland were deposited in elite burials as symbols of authority. This was followed by the development of locally replicated mirrors (boseikyo) and distinct indigenous motifs during the Kofun period (c. AD 250–538), whilst mainland influence persisted through the continuous reception of Tang-style mirrors during the Asuka (AD 538–710) and Nara (AD 710–794) periods. It was not until the Heian period (AD 794–1185) that the wakyo emancipated itself from Chinese stylistic hegemony to establish a distinctive, uniquely Japanese aesthetic idiom (wakyo-yashiki). This idiom shifted the decorative focus towards auspicious motifs symbolizing longevity and prosperity—such as cranes, tortoises, pines, bamboos, chrysanthemums, and natural landscapes—often rendered in pictorial, painting-like compositions. This ornamental tradition endured through the Muromachi period (AD 1336–1573) and into the Edo period. During the Edo period, wakyo underwent a profound transformation characterized by heightened utilitarianism and widespread popularization, which manifested clearly in its typology and chronological development. Typologically, the primary manufacturing output shifted dramatically from traditional circular mirrors to e-kagami (handled mirrors) and rectangular hako-kagami (pocket or pocket-sized mirrors) suitable for carrying within the robes. The reverses of these mirrors were frequently cast with the signatures of celebrated mirror-smiths, and material analyses suggest the ubiquitous deployment of a tinning process, wherein a silver-white metallic thin film was applied onto a brass or shakudo (copper-gold alloy) substrate. Chronologically, managed mirrors produced prior to the mid-Edo period are typified by relatively slender and elongated handles; however, by the late Edo period, the maturation of fumikaeshi (re-casting or surmoulage) technology facilitated industrial-scale mass production. Consequently, the consumption of bronze mirrors democratized, expanding from the aristocratic samurai class to the general populace. Handled mirrors of this late phase were commonly integrated into bridal dowries and popularly cast with oversized, bold calligraphic inscriptions conveying propitious blessings. This formed a popular bronze mirror culture unique to the commoners of the Edo period, which persisted until its ultimate obsolescence following the ubiquity of glass mirrors during the Meiji era (AD 1868–1912).

物件編號: X29

年代: 約公元 1603-1868 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 74.3 x 53.2 x 1.6 mm

重量: 45.75 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2023

這是一個青銅鏡，出自江戶時期。

鏡體呈長方形，高度大於寬度，鏡面光素。鏡背中軸線偏上以及偏下的地方各有一個鏡鈕，鏡鈕略呈突起的半球型，側面留有縫，便於穿繩。中央則有主圖，為南天枝葉，莖葉間點綴果實。左下角鐫銘「津田薩摩守」，為著名鏡師名號之一。圖案與銘文外的底面以「石目打」鍛打出類似岩石的粗糙質感。

日本的「和鏡」起源可追溯至彌生時代接受的漢式舶載鏡，於墓葬中出土，經古墳時代的仿製鏡與獨特文樣發展，並在飛鳥、奈良時代持續受唐式鏡影響。至平安時代，和鏡脫離中國影響而確立了日本獨特的「和鏡樣式」，改以具有「長壽」與「繁榮」寓意的鶴、龜、松、竹、菊及風景等吉祥文樣為主題，並出現如繪畫一般的構圖，此一裝飾傳統亦延續到室町時代與江戶時代。到了江戶時期，和鏡在分類與分期上呈現出高度的實用化與普及化：形態上，該時期绝大部分的生產主力，由圓鏡轉變為「柄鏡」(帶手把的鏡子)與可放入懷中的「方鏡(懷中鏡)」，鏡背常鑄有知名鏡師的銘文，並推測普遍採用在黃銅或赤銅本體上進行銀白色金屬薄膜加工的鍍錫工藝；在分期發展上，江戶中期以前的柄鏡特徵為手把較為細長，但到了江戶後期，隨著「踏み返し」(翻鑄)技術的成熟，銅鏡進入大量生產階段，使其利用範圍從武家擴展至一般庶民。此時的柄鏡常作為婚嫁道具，並流行鑄上帶有祝福寓意的大字銘文，形成了江戶時代特有的庶民銅鏡文化，直至明治時代玻璃鏡普及後才走向終焉。