Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-06-11
SCIENTIFIC.

japanese Magic Mirrors.-The magic
mirrors of Japan have recently been
attracting attention in England. These
mirrors are usually circular, from three
inches to twelve inches in diameter.
made of bronze, and with bronze
handle covered with bamboo; the re-
flecting face is more or less convex !;
coated with mercury amalgam, and
the back is beautifully ornamented
with a gracefully executed raised de-
sign. Some for the rustic population
have also polished letters. The pol
ished rejecting surface when looked at
shows no trace whatever of the design
in relief on the hack, but when a sun
beam, or other bright light, is reflected
from the surface on screen, there Is
seen on the screen an image of the
raised pattern consisting OF natural
objects, geometrical figures, or Chinese
symbols sIgnifying "long life, chap
piness," etc. The explanation of the
magic of these Eastern mirrors arises,
not from a subtle trick on the part OF
the maker, nor from inlaying of other
metals, nor from hardening of portions
by stamping, but from the natural
property possessed by certain thin
bronze of buckling under a bending
stress so as to remain strained in the
opposite direction after the stress Is re-
moved. And this stress is applied partly
by the megebo, or ''distorting rod, and
partly by the subsequent polishing,
which in an exactly similar way tends
To make the thinner parts NOR
convex than the thicker. The mirror
ranks very high in Japan, and takes
the place of the cross in Roman Cath
olic countries. The ''two-great-divine-
palaces" at Ise, containing the ydtd no
kdgdmi. the first made mirror, have in
the eyes of the Japanese the same inn
portance as has the Holy Sepulchre for
the Greeks and Armenians, or Mecca
for the Mohomedans. The mirror,
therefore, constitutes the most import
ant part OF the regalia of the Japanese
sovereigns. The mythical origin OF
the mirror is thus explained; When
gods alone inhabited the earth the sun
goddess one day hurt her hand with
her shuttle, having been suddenly
frightened by a practical joke of her
brother, the god of the sea. She indig-
nantly retired TO a cave. Darkness
followed, and the goddess had TO be
appeased. The wisest of the gods sug-
gested making an image of her more
beautiful than herself. The japanese
Vulcan fashioned a mirror in the shape
of the sun, and all the gods laughed
and shouted, Here is deity who sur
passes even your glory" Woman's
curiosity could not stand this. The
goddess peeped out, and while admir-
ing herself in the mirror was caught
and dragged out by rice rope. The
national traditions have it that this
sun goddess (Amaterasu mi kami)
sending her adopted grand son, who
was also the great-grandfather Of the
first Emperor of Japan, to subdue the
world, made him three presents: the
mdgd-tdBld Che precious stone emblem
atical of the spirit of woman, the
sword (emblematical of the spirit OF
man, and the mirror emblem of her
own soul(. Look" she said, ION
this mirror as my spirit, keep it in the
same house and on the salhe floor with
yourself, and worship it as if you were
worshipping my actual presence.