Bronze Mirrors Excavated from Sutra Mounds
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Mirror with Autumn Grasses, Butterflies, and Birds
Found at the Hakusan Shrine Sutra Mound, Tokyo, Heian period, 12th centuryJapanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
September 9, 2025 (Tue) - February 1, 2026 (Sun)Sutra texts in protective containers, as well as bronze mirrors, knives, lidded white porcelain vessels, and a variety of other objects were buried in sutra mounds.
Initially, many bronze mirrors created in Japan were based on Chinese examples, but in the Heian period (794–1192), mirrors with animal, plant, and landscape motifs reflecting a unique Japanese aesthetic were extensively produced.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Mirror with Autumn Grasses, Butterflies, and Birds | Found at the Hakusan Shrine Sutra Mound, Tokyo | Heian period, 12th century | E-15141 | |||
| Highlight | Mirror with Chrysanthemums and Paired Sparrows | Found at the peak of Mt. Oizuru, Ishikawa | Muromachi period, 16th century | E-14502 | |||
| Highlight | Mirror with Sandbanks and Paired Birds | Found at the Kanukiyama Sutra Mound, Shizuoka | Heian period, 12th century | E-15005 |