Description

Antique Japanese shinto shrine mirror. The mirror has a central motif of a turtle meeting the beaks of two cranes. Three baby cranes and a small turtle walk along the beach. The three auspicious symbols of pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms invoke the island of longevity, horaisan. There is an inscription to ward off calamities.
This mirror would have been placed on a wooden stand at the entrance to a shinto shrine for the visitor to see their reflection as they entered. Edo period, (c1800).
It measures 4″5/8″ by 1/2″ deep.