Mirror with Pair of Cranes in Chrysanthemum

1400–1573

Japan, Muromachi period

(1392–1573)

Medium

bronze

Measurements

Diameter: 11.3 cm (4 7/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of D. Z. Norton 1917.646

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Location

Not on view

Description

The Japanese used chrysanthemums as decorative elements on mirrors. In the Heian period, a chrysanthemum with cranes or long-tailed birds was a common motif. Later, in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, chrysanthemum designs were divided into three patterns with different symbolic associations: Chrysanthemum with Cranes represented longevity; Water Flowing suggested longevity as well as the Noh drama Kikujido, or Chrysanthemum Boy; and East Fence alluded to the poem "Drinking Wine" by Tao Yuanming (AD 365-427). Here, the mirror featuring Buddhist iconography (kyojo) and a chrysanthemum design on the back shows that the flower was also appreciated in the context of Buddhism in the Kamakura period.