MAGIC MIRROR from Edo Period Discovered at Cincinnati Art Museum

Read the full story here, from CNN, at

'Magic mirror': Hidden image revealed in reflection of centuries-old artifact.

Amida as the Buddha of Light

In the photo above, you'll see the back side of a small bronze mirror from Japan, dating to the 15th or 16th century, now in the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum.

You may recognize the Chinese kanji or characters for the Nembutsu,

NA    MO   A    MI    DA   BUTSU
な む あ み だ ぶ つ

南 無 阿 弥 陀 仏

The sixth kanji on the back of this small mirror is 佛, which is an older form of 仏.

A Magic Mirror?

A researcher thought this old bronze mirror might be similar to other bronze mirrors of the period -- that it might contain a secret or hidden image. When a bright light was focused on the face of the mirror in a darkened room, the resulting image was a unique display.

Amida Revealed

The image that results is a stylized image of Amida Buddha. 

What Do We Mean by Amida as the Buddha of Light?

Amida Buddha is called the Buddha of Wisdom and Compassion or the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life. Light here is a symbol of wisdom, with the thought that the Buddha's wisdom comes to us unbidden, just as the direct light of the sun, or the reflected light from the sun, or even from the direct if disatant light of the stars. Whether we are worthy or not, whether we try or not, the light of that wisdom is available to us all.

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Most of the information relative to the mirror comes from the copyrighted CNN article, Oscar Holland, "'Magic mirror': Hidden image revealed in reflection of centuries-old artifact," July 12, 2022, CNN, as accessed July 13, 2022. All photo credits are to Rob Deslongchamps, Cincinnati Art Museum.