The 8th Great Treasure House Exhibition - "Art of Sutra Paintings" Exhibit List
August 1, 1987～August 31
About me
In the late Heian period, the magnificent Hiraizumi culture flourished in Oshu under the leadership of the Fujiwara clan.
The shining golden Konjikido Hall remains a symbol of the rulers of Oshu to this day.
Among the Hiraizumi culture that flourished as if to rival the capital culture of Kyoto, the Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo is particularly noteworthy. The Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo was dedicated by Kiyohira, the first of the three Fujiwara clans, when he built Chusonji Temple, and is thought to have consisted of approximately 5,300 volumes. This issaikyo was moved to Mount Koya in the late Middle Ages, and 4,296 volumes are currently preserved as the National Treasure "Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo."
The sutras, written in alternating lines in gold and silver ink on deep navy blue Japanese paper, and the illustrated endpapers at the beginning of the book still shine brightly even 851 years later, evoking the splendor of Hiraizumi culture.
The inside pages contain not only scenes of Shakyamuni preaching, but also numerous works depicting the daily lives of ordinary people at the time and the contents of the sutras.
Furthermore, the painting's free-flowing brushwork suggests a departure from the stiff style of Buddhist painting towards picture scrolls, making it a valuable resource for tracing the cultural history of our country.
It is truly a pleasure to now gather together the many varied interior paintings from the National Treasure Sutras in Gold and Silver, and to exhibit them to the public for the first time.
Among the Hiraizumi culture that flourished as if to rival the capital culture of Kyoto, the Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo is particularly noteworthy. The Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo was dedicated by Kiyohira, the first of the three Fujiwara clans, when he built Chusonji Temple, and is thought to have consisted of approximately 5,300 volumes. This issaikyo was moved to Mount Koya in the late Middle Ages, and 4,296 volumes are currently preserved as the National Treasure "Kin-gin-ji Issaikyo."
The sutras, written in alternating lines in gold and silver ink on deep navy blue Japanese paper, and the illustrated endpapers at the beginning of the book still shine brightly even 851 years later, evoking the splendor of Hiraizumi culture.
The inside pages contain not only scenes of Shakyamuni preaching, but also numerous works depicting the daily lives of ordinary people at the time and the contents of the sutras.
Furthermore, the painting's free-flowing brushwork suggests a departure from the stiff style of Buddhist painting towards picture scrolls, making it a valuable resource for tracing the cultural history of our country.
It is truly a pleasure to now gather together the many varied interior paintings from the National Treasure Sutras in Gold and Silver, and to exhibit them to the public for the first time.
First day of the month of Showa 62 (1987) Director of the Koyasan Reihokan Museum Tomonori Yamamoto