Mirror of House Patterns - Kaokumonkyo

This is a 4th century imitation mirror with a house pattern cast on the back. It is a convex circular mirror with a diameter of 22.7 cm and weighing 1,190 grams. It was excavated from the Takarazuka Tomb in Kaibuki, Samida, Kawai-machi, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara Prefecture. It has a knob, circular base, circular ring, and square grid in the center, and on the outside are four types of houses, a semicircular square band, a sawtooth pattern band, and a picture pattern band, and ends with a sawtooth pattern band sandwiched between a double-line wave pattern band and a flat rim. There are four types of houses: a takayuka (or two-story) structure with a ladder on the parapet above the floor and an outdoor platform with a lid, a Taira clan house, a roof reminiscent of a pit dwelling, and a takayuka structure reminiscent of a storehouse. The first three are gabled roof structures, while the rest are gabled. What appears to be a bird can be seen on the ridge, and trees and lids can be seen between the buildings. These patterns are unique in Chinese and Japanese mirrors, and along with house-shaped haniwa clay figures and bronze bell paintings, they are important resources for learning about prehistoric architecture.

[Takeshi Kasano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鏡背に家屋の文様を鋳出した4世紀の仿製(ぼうせい)鏡。径22.7センチメートル、重さ1190グラムの凸面の円鏡。奈良県北葛城(きたかつらぎ)郡河合(かわい)町大字佐味田(さみだ)字貝吹の宝塚古墳から出土。中央に鈕(ちゅう)、円座、円圏、方格を配し、その外側に4種の家屋、半円方形帯、鋸歯文(きょしもん)帯、画文帯と続き、複線波文帯を挟む鋸歯文帯、平縁で終わる。家屋は、階上の欄干(らんかん)に梯子(はしご)をかけ、屋外に桟敷(さじき)を設けて蓋(きぬがさ)を差しかけた高床(たかゆか)（または2階建て）建築、平家の家屋、竪穴(たてあな)住居を思わせる屋根、倉庫を思わせる高床建築の4棟。前三者は入母屋(いりもや)造、残りは切妻(きりづま)造。棟に鳥らしきもの、建物の間に樹木、蓋がみえる。これらの文様は、中国、日本の鏡に類例がなく、家形埴輪(はにわ)、銅鐸(どうたく)の絵画とともに、原史時代の建築を知る重要な資料である。

［笠野　毅］

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