Mirror

Unknown artist

Kofun (or Asuka) period, 7th century

Iron with silver inlay

Tokyo National Museum

A circular, heavily corroded iron object with a central protrusion and visible silver inlay. The object appears to be a fragment of a larger artifact. Though heavily rusted, an X-ray CT analysis revealed that this mirror features a vine pattern in silver inlay. With a gilt-bronze eyelet in the center, this mirror likely functioned as a type of Buddhist ritual adornment. Findspot: Found at the Matsuyama Tumulus, Nara