Calligraphy and Textiles

Obi Fragment, With glass and pearls (detail)
Nara period, 8th century (Important Cultural Property)

The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures Room 6
November 23, 2021 (Tue) - December 25, 2021 (Sat)

The works of calligraphy held in the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures primarily consist of records donated to the temple by Empress Kōken (713–770), works imported from China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), and Horyuji Temple’s records of daily events as well as legends concerning Prince Shōtoku.

The textiles held in the collection date from the mid-7th to 8th century and consist mainly of Buddhist ritual banners (ban), table mats (joku), and robes or other clothing worn by monks. The textiles also include fragments whose original uses are unknown, including rare ancient textiles, such as warp-faced compound weaves, tapestries, warp ikat fragments, complex gauze (ra), and plain- and twill- weave silks.

Dyed fabrics include examples of all three major dyeing techniques form the 8th century: tie-dyeing in a dot pattern (kōkechi), wax-resist dyeing (rōkechi), and clamp-resist dyeing (kyōkechi). The collection also features examples of early embroidery, braiding, and rugs.

Commentary Sheet (PDF)

Major Work(s) on Exhibit 3 results

Calligraphy

	Designation	Name		Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance	Period	Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number	CMT
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	"Hannya-Shingyō" (Heart Sutra) and Dharani Mantra in Sanskrit			Late Gupta dynasty, 7th-8th century	N-8-1

	Designation	Name	Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance	Period	Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number	CMT
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	Obi Fragment, With glass and pearls		Nara period, 8th century	N-49
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	Fragment of "Ban" (Buddhist Ritual Banner), With arrowhead pattern		Asuka–Nara period, 7–8th century	N-50-1

Exhibitions