Jump to content

Nachi: The Hidden Treasures of a Sacred Land

  • Image of "Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama Asuka period, 7th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō others)"

    Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama Asuka period, 7th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō others)

    Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
    June 8, 2021 (Tue) - July 18, 2021 (Sun)

    After Buddhism arrived in Japan, Nachi and the other Kii Mountains flourished as sacred sites of Shingon Buddhism, Shinto mountain worship, and Shugendō, a form of mountain asceticism. The belief in mappō, a dawning age of degeneracy and chaos, also led to many sutra mounds being built here to preserve Buddhist scripture.

    In 2004, the area was designated a World Heritage site. The Tokyo National Museum houses around 250 artifacts discovered in 1918 near Kumano Nachi Shrine on the path to Nachi Waterfall, itself revered as the deity Hirō Gongen.

    This exhibition features several representative objects from this collection.

 Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
 Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama Asuka period, 7th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō others)
Sutra Case, Excavated at Nachisan, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama, Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Shirayama Bunjiro)
Finial of Buddhist Priest's Staff, Excavated at Mount Nachi, Nachikatsu'ura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama, Nara period, 8th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshiro)
Qian Hong-Chu's 84000 stupas, China, Excavated at Nachisan, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama, The Five dynasties period, 10th century, China (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshiro)
Mirror with the Buddha Amida in Hairline Engraving, Excavated from Mount Nachi, Nachikatsura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama. Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshiro and others)
Mirror with the Buddha Yakushi in Hairline Engraving, Excavated from Mount Nachi, Nachikatsura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama, Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshiro and others)
Mirror with the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Kannon in Hairline Engraving, Excavated from Mount Nachi, Nachikatsura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshiro and others)