Special/Planned Exhibits
The 29th Koyasan Great Treasure Exhibition "Treasures of Mount Koya"
Period: July 19, 2008 (Saturday) - September 15 (Monday)
Period: July 19, 2008 (Saturday) - September 15 (Monday)
The Reihokan Museum will be showcasing the treasures of the temples in Mount Koya under the title "Treasures of Mount Koya." This is the 2nd of a 3-part series, and the subject of the exhibition is the treasures of 17 temples in Mount Koya.
Mount Koya was established as a training center for Esoteric Shingon Buddhism, but it has also had the flexibility to accept other sects and their people, and has had a history up to the present day in which various faiths have coexisted. This can be seen from the fact that, even though Mount Koya is a sacred place for Esoteric Buddhism, there are many Pure Land art pieces and statues of Amida Buddha.
On the other hand, worship of Acala, the representative Buddha of esoteric Buddhism, was also very popular. The statue of Acala with the Eight Great Children, which is the main feature of this exhibition, is known as an example of one aspect of the faith in Acala during the Kamakura period, and is also known as an excellent work of art that can be considered a treasure of esoteric Buddhism.
Mount Koya was established as a training center for Esoteric Shingon Buddhism, but it has also had the flexibility to accept other sects and their people, and has had a history up to the present day in which various faiths have coexisted. This can be seen from the fact that, even though Mount Koya is a sacred place for Esoteric Buddhism, there are many Pure Land art pieces and statues of Amida Buddha.
On the other hand, worship of Acala, the representative Buddha of esoteric Buddhism, was also very popular. The statue of Acala with the Eight Great Children, which is the main feature of this exhibition, is known as an example of one aspect of the faith in Acala during the Kamakura period, and is also known as an excellent work of art that can be considered a treasure of esoteric Buddhism.
It is no exaggeration to say that the many treasures handed down at Mount Koya were born from prayer and faith. We hope that the works on display this time will give visitors a sense of what kind of wishes people have prayed for throughout the ages, and how sculptors and painters of Buddha have expressed sublime figures of Buddha.
Main exhibits
National treasure
Standing statue of the Eight Great Children, Buddha in Nirvana, Deaf and Blind, Small Chinese Chest with Raden and Makie Design of Swamp Chidori (all from Kongobu-ji Temple) Statue of Sojo Kinso (Fumon-in Temple)
Important cultural property
Exhibits include the statue of Peacock Myo-o, the statue of Dainichi Nyorai (formerly located in the West Pagoda), the Sokushinjobutsubon, the 32nd volume of the Zoichi Agama Sutra (all from Kongobu-ji Temple), the Kakuzensho (Seinan-in Temple), the peacock-patterned chime (Renge-in Temple), the Amida Pure Land Mandala, and the Koyasan wooden type (all from Saizen-in Temple), as well as statues of Shaka Nyorai and other deities (Fumon-in Temple), a statue of Bishamonten (Kodai-in Temple), and Chinese calligraphy (Daimyo-o-in Temple).
A total of 86 items are on display, including 13 national treasures, 38 important cultural properties, 3 items designated by Wakayama Prefecture, and 1 important art object.
A total of 86 items are on display, including 13 national treasures, 38 important cultural properties, 3 items designated by Wakayama Prefecture, and 1 important art object.