A Kamakura Mirror from Tamasaki Shrine
The Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows, in Japanese 梅樹双雀鏡 (Baiju Sōjaku-kyō), is a white-bronze mirror of the Kamakura period handed down at Tamasaki Shrine in Ichinomiya Town, Chiba Prefecture, and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1953. It is 20.5 cm across.
White bronze is an alloy of copper and tin that polishes to a pale sheen. The knob at the centre of the back is a plain round boss, and the rim is rounded like a half-cylinder in section.
A Mirror Hung Before the Gods
Two small holes pierce the mirror next to its rim. Chiba Prefecture takes them as evidence that it once hung before the altar as a mishotai, an object embodying the deity.
Ichinomiya Town describes it the same way, as a mirror thought to have been hung in front of the shrine's deity as its focus of worship.
An Old Plum and Two Sparrows
As the name says, the back shows a plum tree and two sparrows. Along the bottom runs a sandbar sprouting young grass, with flowing water; an old plum grows toward the right, and on the left two sparrows play on a sharply bent trunk. A single clump of withered pampas grass stands in the far left corner of the sandbar.
Chiba Prefecture calls this realistic, peaceful spring scene thoroughly Japanese in taste, and notes that such designs, together with chrysanthemums, were favourites of the Kamakura period. Where Heian mirrors were decorated with flowers and flowering sprays, Kamakura mirrors more often spread a whole plum or cherry tree across the back, and grew heavier in feel.
Chiba Prefecture's official tourism site describes the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows as well cast and one of the finest of Japanese-style mirrors.
Visiting
The mirror is deposited at the Otaki Castle Branch of the Chiba Prefectural Central Museum. The branch has been closed for renovation since 27 December 2021, and its buildings cannot be entered. Check with the Central Museum (tel. 043-265-3111) about any display.
Tamasaki Shrine, the owner, is the first-ranked shrine of old Kazusa Province, at 3048 Ichinomiya, Ichinomiya Town; the mirror cannot be seen at the shrine.
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Q&A
- Can I see the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows?
- It is deposited at the Otaki Castle Branch, which has been closed since December 2021. Ask the Central Museum about any display.
- What is shown on the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows?
- A sandbar with flowing water, an old plum tree, two sparrows playing on a bent trunk and a clump of withered pampas grass.
- How big is the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows?
- It is 20.5 cm in diameter and made of white bronze.
- What are the holes in the rim of the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows for?
- They are thought to show that it was hung before the altar as an object embodying the deity.
- When was the Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows designated?
- On 14 November 1953, as an Important Cultural Property (craft).
Basic Information
| Name | Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows (梅樹双雀鏡) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3048 Ichinomiya, Ichinomiya Town, Chosei District, Chiba Prefecture (Tamasaki Shrine); kept at the Otaki Castle Branch of the Chiba Prefectural Central Museum |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (craft) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1953/11/14 (Showa 28) |
| Quantity | 1 mirror |
| Dimensions | Diameter 20.5 cm |
| Owner | Tamasaki Shrine |
| Public Access | Deposited at the Otaki Castle Branch (closed since 27 December 2021) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/5574
- Chiba Prefecture: Mirror with Plum Tree and Two Sparrows
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/n141-005.html
- Ichinomiya Town: nationally designated cultural properties
- https://www.town.ichinomiya.chiba.jp/kankou/kankouannai/bunkazai/kokutei.html
- Chiba Tourism Navi: Tamasaki Shrine
- https://maruchiba.jp/spot/detail_10313.html
- Chiba Prefectural Central Museum: Otaki Castle Branch
- https://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/NATURAL/sonan/
Last verified: 2026.09.26