纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 058日本铜镜（6）（在线收听）

"Ben-no-Naishi showed on her train a beach with cranes on it, painted with silver. It was something new. She had also embroidered pine branches; she is clever, for all these things are emblematic of a long life."

And the cranes also carry another meaning - because these birds mate for life, and so are symbols of marital fidelity. The message on the back of our mirror is quite simply one of enduring love. Which brings us back to the 'Tale of Genji'. At one point in the book Genji, the princely hero, before setting off for a long absence, takes a mirror, recites into it a passionate love poem and then gives it to his beloved - so that, holding the mirror once he is gone, she will be able to hold both his message of love and, within its polished surface, the image of Genji himself. Our mirror, with its faithful cranes, would have been a particularly appropriate vehicle for such a declaration of love.

But Japanese mirrors can also communicate more alarming messages, and not just between humans - through them we can enter the world of the spirits, and, indeed, speak to the gods. Here's Ian Buruma again:

弁内侍的礼服下摆展示了用银线描绘的在海边翩翩起舞的仙鹤图案。这可很新鲜。她还绣上了松枝。她很聪慧，因为这些都是长寿的象征。

仙鹤还有其他寓意，这种鸟终身只有一个伴侣，因此是忠于爱情的象征。镜子背面图案所传达的信息很简单，即不渝的爱。《源氏物语》的男主角光源氏在远行?之前拿出一面镜子，对着它诵念一首深情的情诗，然后把它送给自己心爱的人。他离开之后，他的心上人握着这面镜子，仿佛就能感受到他的爱意、在镜子光洁的表面上看到他的面容。这面铸有忠贞仙鹤的镜子，想来是一种格外适合表白的工具。

在日本，镜子不只用于传情，它还可以传达晦涩的信息—一通过它进入灵界、与神对话。伊恩布鲁玛说：