Secret hidden message discovered in ancient artefact using centuries-old ‘magic mirror’

A SECRET message has been discovered in an ancient artefact using a centuries-old “magic mirror”. The small bronze relic dating back to the 15th or 16th century had been stored away for decades amid thousands of treasures in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s East Asian art collection. Rob Deslongchamps/Cincinnati Art MuseumThe polished bronze surface appears normal and can be used as a regular mirror[/caption] Rob Deslongchamps/Cincinnati Art MuseumWhen the expert trained a light through the mirror, its secret was revealed[/caption] The image revealed was that of Buddha shrouded in heavenly beams While it looked unremarkable to the untrained eye, the bronze plate was hiding an incredible secret – in plain sight. “Magic mirrors” are an ancient art that has its origins in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), the museum said. The polished bronze artefacts have a pattern cast on one side, and a shiny surface that can be used as a mirror. When bright light reflects into the mirror, the pattern or image is projected onto the wall. READ MORE IN WORLD NEWS SMASH AND DASH Moment naked psychiatric patient smashes moving ambulance window & legs it HIGH ALERT Japan volcano erupts just 30 miles from nuclear plant as evacuations ordered The museum’s curator of East Asian art, Hou-mei Sung, was researching these so-called magic mirrors when he came across a piece of art that looked similar to those she knew from Edo-period Japan. The one in Cincinnati displayed a more complex style of Chinese script (南無阿彌陀佛) that spelt six characters: the name of Amitābha Buddha. “It’s really fate or luck,” Sung told Artnet News. “We were going to put the bronze artwork on view in a museum gallery. Out of curiosity, I wanted to test it.” So Sung decided to bring a conservation expert to the museum storage and train a light on Cincinnati’s suspected magic mirror. “I asked her to ‘shine a strong, focused light on the mirror’,” Sung told 7News. “So, she used her cell phone (flashlight) and it worked.” Most read in News BLADE HORROR Terrifying moment knifeman sneaks up behind man before stabbing him in back BATTLE LINES Incredible moment farmer tries to slow down wildfire to save neighbour's home 'OUT OF HAND' Inside crumbling town where dealers turn derelict homes into ‘drug stores’ FOUND SAFE Three girls found safe after desperate hunt launched when trio vanished together LE MISERABLE Anti-Brexit French cop behind Dover travel chaos wrecking Brit holidays GET 'EM ORF I'm selling Harry's PANTS after he gifted them to me on wild Vegas night out After a few tries, the 8.5 inches (22cm) diametre mirror’s secret appeared on the wall in front of them – it revealed the image of a Buddha, rays of light emanating from his seated form. Worldwide, only three other institutions own a Buddhist-themed magic mirror. “We were so excited,” Sung said. The expert is yet to decipher whether the mirror originated in China or Japan, but she believes it may be the former. Read More on The Sun NAME GAME We named our son a strong, manly name but family laughed in our face at it BRANCHING OUT My neighbour has cut down LOADS of my tree - I’m absolutely fuming Sung said many art collectors or institutions may be in possession of such extraordinary artefacts “that people don’t even know are magic”. The Buddha mirror is now displaced at the Cincinnati museum. Rob Deslongchamps/Cincinnati Art MuseumOne side displayed a more complex style of Chinese script[/caption]