Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Mirror Stand (Kyōdai) with Wisteria and Pine
Not on view
Complex mirror stands designed to combine a cosmetic box and mirror were produced starting in the Muromachi period (1392–1573). This one features auspicious wisteria flowers and pine trees, symbols of longevity and the Fujiwara family. Mirrors are prominently mentioned in Chapter 12, “Exile to Suma” (Suma), in which Genji prepares to leave for exile. Gazing in the mirror, he tells Murasaki that she should console herself with the image of his face, which will remain in the mirror:
Mi wa kakute
Sasuraenu to mo
Kimi ga atari
Saranu kagami no
Kage wa hanareji
Though in this fashion
Have been exiled flesh and blood,
My shadow-image
In the mirror at your side
Shall never depart where you dwell.
—Translation by Edwin A. Cranston
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