Tenjukoku Embroidery (National Treasure)

Asuka period, 7th century
Chūgūji Temple, Nara
On display: 26 Jan–21 Feb 2021

This textile work depicts the Tenjukoku, the Buddhist realm of paradise into which Prince Shōtoku is said to have been reborn after his death. Originally commissioned in the Asuka period, it was later replicated in the Kamakura period by Chūgūji abbess Shinnyo. The current work was pieced together in the Edo period from remnants of both the original and the replica.

Standing Manjushri Bodhisattva (Important Cultural Property)

Kamakura period, dated 1269
Chūgūji Temple, Nara

Here is an unusual Buddhist statue that was created by sticking multiple layers of paper over a core made from Buddhist scriptures and scrolls. It may have been commissioned by Chūgūji abbess Shinnyo, who was responsible for restoring the temple in the Kamakura period.

Chūgūji Through the Years

Aside from displaying the many objects owned by Chūgūji, this exhibition also traces the history of the temple from its establishment in the seventh century, through its restoration in the thirteenth century by its abbess Shinnyo, up until it became designated an imperial temple (monzeki) around the late sixteenth to seventeenth century.

Portrait of Nun Shinnyo (reportedly)

Muromachi period, 15th century
Chūgūji Temple, Nara

The subject of this portrait is allegedly the nun Shinnyo, who had discovered the Tenjukoku Embroidery and restored Chūgūji. Although the artwork originally depicted one of the Sixteen Arhats, the pale and gentle figure portrayed happened to resemble Shinnyo, leading later generations to believe it to be a depiction of her.

Sliding doors decorated with birds and flowers

Edo period, 18th century
Chūgūji Temple, Nara

These sliding doors came from the elevated section of Chūgūji’s reception hall, where the highest ranked members of a gathering would have sat. The vividly colored birds and realistic flowers take after court furnishings, making them befitting of an imperial temple.

Images of the Pensive Bodhisattva and Maitreya: From Ghandara to Japan

The principle image of Chūgūji is a pensive bodhisattva, which is a type of Buddhist image with origins in Gandhara. This exhibition dedicates a section to introducing this type of imagery, tracing its roots and its eventual spread to Japan.

Meditation under a Tree

Gandhara, Pakistan, Kushan dynasty, 2nd–3rd century
Ryukoku Museum, Ryukoku University, Kyoto

Gandhara is known for being the birthplace of Buddhist images. Many temple stupas there bear carvings telling the story of Buddha’s life. The scene at the right is of Prince Siddhartha Gautama (the name Buddha was known by before attaining enlightenment), deep in thought as he watches a farmer working on a hot summer day.

Pensive bodhisattva

China, Northern Wei dynasty, 6th century
Eisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo

Square faces and neatly folded robes are characteristic of Chinese Buddhist sculptures created in the Northern Wei dynasty. This style was inherited by Japanese sculptor Kuratsukuri Tori, who went on to create many works considered representative of Asuka-period Buddhist sculpture.

Pensive bodhisattva (Nagasaki Prefecture–Designated Cultural Property)

Korea, Three Kingdoms period, 7th century
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, Nagasaki
On display: 23 Feb–21 Mar 2021

This sculpture was worshipped as an image of Jesus Christ in Urakami, Nagasaki. The crown and robes on this figure tell us that it was a product of the Silla Kingdom in Korea. These features can also be found on the Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva statue enshrined in Kyoto’s Kōryūji Temple, which has been designated a National Treasure.