You haven’t really seen yourself until you’ve gazed into an Aranmula kannadi. These mysterious mirrors have been made in India, for centuries, and are said to reflect your truest self.
source/image(PrtSc): Great Big Story
Unlike plane mirrors, Aranmula kannadi are front-reflecting, meaning the image that is shown is not distorted. Today, there are only a handful of families handcrafting them out of an alloy of tin and copper.
They’re expensive, but for good reason. Haradi, a local craftsman, guides us through the complex, painstaking process of making one of these gorgeous showpieces.
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The exact metals used in the alloy are maintained as a Vishwakarma family secret. Metallurgists suggest that the alloy is a mix of copper and tin. It is polished for several days to achieve the mirror’s reflective surface.
