Mirror with Triangular Rim , Design of Dragon and Tiger

These mirrors were excavated from the Miyanosu Tumulus, which faces the Seto Inland Sea in Kudamatsu-city, Yamaguchi prefecture. The tumulus is also said to have yielded several ironware and haji earthenware objects. The small size and poor finishing of the Mirror, Interconnected arcs design suggests it was made in Japan. The other three mirrors with triangular rims were produced in China. They predominately feature Chinese deities and mythical beasts. The Mirror with Triangular Rim, Dragon and tiger design features four such beasts surrounding the central knob where string was threaded. These are encircled by an inscription which reads thus: This mirror was made by a person named Wang.

Possession of this mirror will ensure rain, rich harvests, and peace. Several tumuli containing mirrors like these were built in the area surrounding the Seto Inland Sea at the start of the Kofun period. This region was a hub for sea trade, so the occupants of the tumuli were probably powerful figures involved in marine transportation. At that time, Japan's Kinki region was ruled by the powerful Yamato rulers. For them, the Seto Inland Sea was a vital maritime link to China and the Korean peninsula. The Yamato rulers probably bestowed these mirrors on local chieftains around the Seto Inland Sea area as a way of flaunting their relations with the continent.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.