OK, I just had to do a post on this piece since I wrote about Te-kagami (hand mirrors) earlier here. This type of furniture basically came about during the Meiji era. The style changed over time in the successive Taisho and Showa eras due to women’s dressing needs changing and the influx of western mirror imports. This piece is from the Meiji era as it’s holder is for the older style mirror as well as the cabinetry resembling traditional styles. Later Kyodai incorporated tall western style mirrors and exhibited much more decorative grained woods. Made out of Keyaki (Japanese Elm) and joined using hanken shiki (finger joints), with hirute (leech style) handles over incised toshi-zagane (backplates). Maybe not the most elaborate of pieces, but at least it’s a style that you dont see all to often, being overshadowed in the market by clothing and kitchen chests. All in all, an interesting tansu.

Te Kagami are hand mirrors that most of you have seen depicted in Geisha houses when the Geishas were putting on their makeup. They usually had their own bako (box, I’m not sure if there is a distinct word for this compartment so I’ll go with box, as seen in the first picture) and were set on a little stand so the ladies could use them. Primarily made out of bronze that was highly polished on one side (see picture for example of reflection), and highly figurative on the reverse. I don’t know a whole lot about these but of course I like their historical use and value. What I do know is that these were prized possessions, with a historical importance. The Yata No Kagami (the sacred mirror) is one part of the three sacred treasures of Japan, the Imperial Regalia (Sanshyu no Jingi). The regalia consists of the Kusunagi (sword), the Yasakani no magatama (jewel, or necklace of jewels) and the Yata no Kagami (mirror). They all have their own significance but the mirror represented honesty or wisdom. I think this meaning is kind of perverted in the use by Geisha because the makeup they wore represented an ideal woman, and if you needed a lot of makeup to become that ideal woman, how much of one were you before (but that’s a completely separate discussion). The reason why the mirror is included in the regalia is that it was hung from a tree to lure Amaterasu (the sun Goddess) out of a cave, and she is who the divine family are direct descendants of (generally speaking, this site is about antiques and not religion and lineology, I could go into that in depth but this is not the place). Basically the mirror was important upon many levels, and if you are into collecting, I think a fine example of a kagami set in a stand resting upon a nice Isho-dansu (clothing chest) would be a beautiful arrangements for your home. Look into them.