wakyou　和鏡

KEY WORD :　art history / crafts

Japanese style mirrors. Wakyou were developed as part of toilet sets in the Heian period. Previously large and heavy Chinese style mirrors were used as ritual objects at temples and shrines and as burial accessories. Wakyou, although based in technique and shape on continental models, are distinguished from Chinese mirrors by such Japanese style patterns and motifs as pines, cherry blossoms, wistaria, maples, pampas grass, chrysanthemums, cranes, geese and sparrows. The matsukuizurumon kyou 松喰鶴文鏡 (mirror with a pattern of pine eating pine) is a typical Japanese style mirror of this period. In the Kamakura period, wakyou became thicker and often featured patterns of peonies, butterflies and birds, or *Houraisan 蓬莱山 in high relief. Song dynasty handled mirrors, ekagami 柄鏡, with decoration around the reflective surface were introduced by the Muromachi period. At first they had a long handle and knob chuu 鈕 in the center of the rear side. Later ekagami became larger and the handle shorter and thicker, with the knob disappearing. In the Momoyama and Edo periods, mirrors were decorated freely with patterns of landscape and birds-and-flowers, often including the signature of mirror maker or the words 'tenka-ichi 天下一' (best in the world).

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