Mirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Mirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Harukawa Goshichi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The kyōka ("mad poem") by Tsurunoya reads: Kumori naki I shōma no Kagami I kage susa wa I Dakki no shaku no I kyūbi saki kamo Referring to the legend of the manipulative and provoking Dafei, favorite concubine of King Zhou of the Shang dynasty, this poem asks: May not the tips of nine tails reflected in an unspotted mirror be the Nine-Tailed Fox? Surimono were privately commissioned prints for special occasions, such as New Year's. Both an unstained mirror and this magical animal are auspicious New Year's omens.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed FoxMirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed FoxMirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed FoxMirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed FoxMirror With the Design of a Nine-Tailed Fox

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.