Metalwork
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Pitcher with Dragon Head, Asuka period, 7th century (National Treasure)
The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures Room 5
April 25, 2023 (Tue) - April 21, 2024 (Sun)The majority of metalwork objects are Buddhist implements, which are classified into various categories according to their use. Kuyōgu are objects used for offerings and Sōgu are items used daily by priests. There are also ritual implements used exclusively at Esoteric Buddhist temples and bon’ongu used to strike the hours or to give a signal. They mainly date from the Asuka and Nara periods with later examples reaching up to the Edo period. A significant number of pieces were made in China and the Korean Peninsula or were strongly influenced by works from these regions. The shape and decorative design of the Dragonhead Pitcher are evidence of an active cultural exchange between Tang China and Persia. Other masterpieces include the Incense Burner with a "Magpie Tail"-shaped Handle (which is the oldest example of an incense burner with a handle in Japan), Bronze Mirrors with Seashore Designs which were donated by Empress Kōmyō to Hōryūji Temple in 736, and the Set of an Ink Cake Stand, Water Holder, and Spoon which are said to have been used by Prince Shōtoku when he wrote the Hokke Gisho annotations on the Lotus Sutra.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Incense Burner with a Handle in the Shape of Magpie's Tail | Nara period, 8th century | N-280 | |||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Pitcher with Dragon Head | Asuka period, 7th century | N-243 | |||
| National Treasure | Ink Cake Stand | Tang dynasty, China, or Nara period, 8th century | N-80 | ||||
| National Treasure | Water Dropper | Tang dynasty, China, or Nara period, 8th century | N-81 | ||||
| National Treasure | Spoon | Tang dynasty, China, or Nara period, 8th century | N-82 | ||||
| National Treasure | Mirror with Sea and Islands | Tang dynasty, China, or Nara period, 8th century | N-74 | ||||
| National Treasure | Mirror with Sea and Islands | Tang dynasty, China, or Nara period, 8th century | N-75 | ||||
| Important Cultural Property | Eight Nested Bowls | Nara period, 8th century | N-263 |