There are those among us that seek to find proof that our ancient ancestors possessed
advanced knowledge and technology that equal – if not surpass – the things we know
and are able to do in modern times.
And among the strangest objects in the world that seem to serve as evidence of advanced
ancient knowledge are the so-called "magic mirrors" of the Far East.
The Chinese and Japanese of ancient times
were owners and makers of precious and rare mirrors that are made of solid bronze but
at the same time can seemingly and magically let light shine through them.
To the Chinese, they referred to these previous artifacts as "mirrors which are permeable
to light."
In the Western world, however, they came to simply be known as "magic mirrors."
And since their introduction in the West, these rare "magical" mirrors have baffled
scientists for many years.
The front of a magic mirror was made of cast
bronze and is generally circular in shape, with size of about 15 to 20 centimeters in
diameter.
The polished surface of the bronze, or the mirror's front side, functioned normally
as a mirror since it can produce a faithful reflection of the objects in front of them.
The back of the mirror, on the other hand, was decorated with various characters and
patterns.
On the reverse surface, there is usually a modeled drawing or carvings that can be landscape
featuring trees, water, birds or animals, or they can contain inscriptions and perhaps
even a figure of Buddha.
In many conditions of lighting, when a magic
mirror is held in the hand, it appears to be perfectly normal mirrors.
However, the "magic" happens when the mirror is held in bright sunshine.
When an especially bright beam of light is reflected off a magic mirror and onto a clear
surface, its reflecting surface can be seen through.
Hence, it becomes possible to inspect the written character or patterns on the back
of the mirror from the reflection cast on to a dark wall.
It is as if the solid bronze had become transparent, making this luminous effect one of the most
unexpected and the most captivating mankind has ever seen.
There are many historical variations with regard to the origin of these Far Eastern
magic mirrors.
However, it is generally agreed on that these ancient artifacts appeared for the first time
in China around the 2nd century BC and that they were produced in large quantities during
the entire period of the Han dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).
The first magical mirror appeared in Europe
when the Director of the Paris Observatory brought with him one in the 19th century upon
his return from China.
It presented an irresistible mystery to the French Academy of Sciences, and despite their
efforts to register its behavior, they could never fully understand why it could do what
it can do.
In total, there are four magical mirrors that were reported to have been brought from China
to Europe at the time.
Then in 1878, two engineering professors presented
the Royal Society of London with a variety of magic mirrors they had brought from Japan.
The English referred to them as "diaphanous mirrors" and for the first time, they managed
to make technical observations about their construction.
However, nobody at the time could determine what produced the ghostly and beautiful projection
of light from the mirror, giving the impression that the solid mirror is transparent in some
way when it should not be the case.
For many centuries, the supposed mystery behind
these ancient mirrors left scientists and collectors perplexed, and labeled the abilities
of these mirrors as "impossible optical illusions" and therefore, "magical."
Western scientists began their examination
of the magic mirrors from the Far East in 1832, but their efforts did not produce their
desired results right away.
Even in the East, it seemed the knowledge of how to intentionally recreate these magic
mirrors were elusive, even though its possibility was not completely out of reach.
About 1,200 years ago, the secret to constructing
magic mirrors was recorded in an ancient Chinese text titled the "Record of Ancient Mirrors."
The book supposedly contains the secrets of these enigmatic objects and their constructions.
It described the method of crafting solid bronze mirrors with decorations, written characters
or patterns on the reverse side in such a way that they could cast a reflection of these
images or inscriptions on a nearby surface when light hits the front and polished side
of the mirror in a seeming transparent effect.
Unfortunately, the book has been lost for over a thousand years.
Magic mirrors were also described in the "Dream
Pool Essays" by Shen Kuo in the 11th century, who owned three of these mirrors as a family
heirloom.
Astonished as how solid metal could be transparent, Shen guessed that some sort of quenching technique
was used to produce tiny wrinkles on the surface of the mirror that are too small to be observed
by the naked eye.
It was in 1932 when it was finally discovered
why the reflections of the magic mirror showed the designs on the back.
According to British physicist, chemist and mathematician Sir William Henry Bragg, although
the surface of the mirror is polished and seems to look like they're completely flat,
the front is actually curved into a convex form by scraping and scratching before the
surface is polished.
It is then coated with a mercury amalgam.
This complex process creates stresses and buckling, resulting in bulges on the surface
of the mirror which is too minute for the naked eye to perceive.
These bulges are the ones that match the design carved on the back of the mirror.
And so, when the mirror reflected bright light
or sunbeam against a dark wall, the effect reproduces the patterns in a magnified manner
as if they were passing through solid bronze by way of these light beams.
It is important to note, however, that while
this method explains the creation of a Chinese or Han magic mirror, it is not the same method
that is applied in making a Japanese magic mirror, as the optical properties of the images
produced by the two types of mirror were not made by the same process.
Moreover, unlike the rare Chinese models, there are many Japanese magic mirrors around
the world, probably because in ancient Japan, mirrors were considered precious items that
were carefully taken care of.
Today, it is rumored that Yamamoto Akihisa
is the last manufacturer of magic mirrors in Japan.
When the Kyoto Journal interviewed him, the artisan explained part of his technique in
making these mirrors, which he revealed that he had learned from his father, who also learned
it from his father, and so on, over several generations.
Even now, our generation is just starting
to learn about these magic mirrors, and there are a lot of things that we do not know about
these ancient artifacts.
Perhaps we may never really know the true meaning behind these "magical" mirrors
because ancient records describing these mysterious objects are gone forever.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that these ancient magic mirrors in China and Japan are
already a part of the magical history of mankind for being undoubtedly one of the strangest
objects in the world.
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