Genesis CT Scan Diagnoses Mystery for Putnam Museum
DAVENPORT, Iowa – February 26, 2024 – A simple CT scan performed at Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street Davenport, in November 2023 helped diagnose a 100-year-old mystery for the Putnam Museum.
With officials from the museum and Genesis looking on, a bronze mirror about 12 inches in diameter from 19th century Japan was gently placed on the scanner bed in hopes of confirming that it was a rare “Magic Mirror.”
It didn’t take long for the scanner to reveal the hidden image of an Amitābha Buddha between the mirror layers, confirming that the artifact was, in fact, “magic.”
For over 100 years, the Putnam has had a “Magic Mirror” sitting in its collection without realizing it. The Putnam curatorial team discovered the mirror in 2022 and asked Genesis to assist them with the lengthy authentication process.
The magic mirror is a bronze mirror engraved on the back in Chinese characters reading “Homage to Amitābha [Buddha].” But what is so special about this mirror is that when light hits it at just the right angle, an image that would otherwise be completely hidden from the naked eye is projected onto the wall.
An imaging screen displays the
"magic" image.
These mirrors were popular in Japan during the Edo and Meiji periods and are exceedingly rare as they were challenging to make and possibly expensive to purchase. Today, officials at the Putnam know of only three of this type of incredible mirror in the United States: this mirror, one at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“This is a significant find not only for the Putnam Museum but for the world,” shared Nora Moriarty, Curatorial Project Coordinator. “Very few of these mirrors are currently identified, and a new addition like ours may help scholars learn about where and when they were created.”
Charles Ficke purchased this mirror in 1904 in Japan and brought it back to his hometown of Davenport, Iowa. It was later included in a large donation to the Putnam Museum. In his records, Ficke lists this mirror as a “Magic Mirror,” but over time, that knowledge was lost to the Putnam Museum records until one Friday afternoon when Nora Moriarty began to become curious about the bronze mirrors in the Putnam collection after reading about one recently discovered at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
After trial and error with a flashlight, the team saw evidence that this mirror might be magic. With the help of Genesis Health System, the museum was able to perform a CT scan on the mirror so that they could see the layers inside, revealing the image of the Buddha.
“It was an exciting moment, illuminating the mirror in the darkness with a flashlight. I thought I saw the image of a Buddha that day, but I wasn’t sure. Seeing my suspicions confirmed in that CT scan was beyond exciting. I knew then that we truly had something special here at the Putnam Museum,” Moriarty shared.
The Putnam Museum and Science Center unveiled this amazing discovery at its fundraising gala Mysteries at the Museum on Saturday, Feb. 24.
The Magic Mirror will be on temporary display beginning Tuesday, Feb. 27, for a limited time at the Putnam. It will eventually be moved to a permanent display during a separate project at the museum connected to the capital campaign. Interested parties can visit the Putnam’s website to learn more about the mirror's specifics. https://www.putnam.org/
About MercyOne
Genesis Health System is now part of MercyOne. MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping people and communities live their best life. MercyOne’s care providers and staff make health the highest priority. The system’s clinics, medical centers, hospitals and affiliates are located throughout the state of Iowa and beyond. Headquartered in central Iowa, MercyOne was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health (based in Livonia, Michigan) – two of the country’s foremost, not-for-profit Catholic health organizations. MercyOne is now fully owned by Trinity Health.
