For years, a 15th- or 16th-century bronze mirror lay in the depths of storage at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio. Speaking to CNN, Sung opens up about the discovery.
In the spring, she and a restoration expert inspected the artefact that was in the museum's warehouse at the time. It was last exhibited in 2017, according to curator Hou-mei Sung, who specializes in East Asian art.
It is only at second glance that it becomes clear: the religiously designed mirror hides a detailed image that appears as a reflection on the wall with a strong light source. It shows Amitabha, an important figure from East Asian Buddhism. The description on the back of the mirror provided this information.
The find in the Cincinnati Art Museum is special: only three museums in the world have such magic mirrors in their collections. The first mirrors were made in the Chinese Han Dynasty around 2000 years ago.
According to the curator, the origin of the rare artifact in Ohio is unclear. Sung suspects some private individuals may unknowingly possess a magic mirror and thus have a rare artifact hanging on their walls.
Sources: Cincinnati Art Museum, Artnet
