Mirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony Scrolls

Mirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony Scrolls

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Originally, the lid of this mirror box was most likely a cover for a three-legged, portable food container (hokai) used by a daimyo (feudal lord) during a procession. The finely executed lid with gold maki-e (“sprinkled picture”) decoration is embellished with a family crest (a whorl of eight hawk feathers) surrounded by an elegant peony scroll pattern. The crest belonged to a branch of the Inoue family, lords of Mikawa Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture) and close allies of the Tokugawa shoguns. The lid was later made into a box to hold a large Kamakuraperiod mirror.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony ScrollsMirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony ScrollsMirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony ScrollsMirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony ScrollsMirror, and Mirror Box (Kagami-bako) with Feather Crest and Peony Scrolls

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.