Bronze mirror in the shape of a
lotus
From Japan
Muromachi
period, 15th-16th century AD
The eight-petalled lotus is the symbol of
Enlightenment in Buddhism. Here it provides a perfect basis for the
ornate design of a pair of birds in flight among scrolls of
stylized flowers and tendrils.
L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990)