Restored Tenpyo Treasures - Reproductions of the Shosoin Treasures

The Shosoin treasures had been preserved in the "Shoso" repository, northwest of the Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji temple. With many works dating from the 8th century, the treasures primarily consist of objects owned by Emperor Shomu that were dedicated to the Great Buddha Vairocana by Empress Komyo on the occasion of forty-nine days after his death, following Buddhist customs, in 756. The Shosoin treasures include many objects imported from the Asian continent and often show distinct elements of Tang Chinese culture, which greatly influenced Japan at that time, as well as those of Central Asia and the Near East, via the Silk Road. These objects demonstrate how Japanese culture had international influences at that time.

The importance of the Shosoin treasures was already recognized in the early Meiji period (1868-1912), and eventually a national project to produce their copies began. The Tokyo National Museum houses a group of representative works reproduced from the Shosoin collection. Restorative reproductions reflect the understanding of the original works at that time, which sometimes slightly vary from the facts discovered later. However, these reproductions capture the essence of the exotic Tenpyo culture that is reflected the Shosoin treasures.