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Special Exhibition
―Celebrating the Enthronement Ceremonies of His Majesty the Emperor

The Reproduction of Shosoin Treasures
Encountering Tenpyo Craftsmanship through the Recreation of 8th Century Works

January 26 to March 27, 2022

*Download the list of changes in works on display
*There will be an exhibition change during the course of exhibition.
*The period is subject to change.

This Special Exhibition offered in celebration of the enthronement ceremonies of His Majesty the Emperor, "The Reproduction of Shosoin Treasures: Encountering Tenpyo Craftsmanship through the Recreation of 8th Century Works," brings you exquisite masterpiece replicas of Shosoin treasures.
The Shosoin treasures amount to some nine thousand objects stored in the Shosoin Repository, originally a storehouse for the temple of Todaiji in Nara. The majority date from the Nara period (710-794) and are categorized into subgroups, such as items related to Emperor Shomu (701-756; r. 724-749), furniture, musical instruments, games, military equipment, writing tools, Buddhist implements, calligraphy, and textiles. The treasures provide an intimate view of contemporaneous East-West trade, since they include richly exotic items brought during the Tang dynasty (618-907) from China and areas beyond. These Shosoin treasures are extremely fragile, having been preserved for close to thirteen hundred years, and as a result they are of necessity inaccessible to the public, except when a select number are displayed during exhibitions held each fall in Nara.
During the Meiji era (1869-1912), the project of reproducing the Shosoin treasures began, with the purposes of both conveying the appeal of these treasures to as many people as possible and passing on their superb techniques to future generations. Since 1972, the Office of the Shosoin Treasure House in the Imperial Household Agency, which oversees the treasures, has been conducting a full-scale reproduction project, meticulously replicating the materials, techniques, and construction of the treasures. Integrating the skill in traditional techniques of master craftsmen—among them artisans who have been designated Living National Treasures—with the results of cutting edge scientific investigation and research, these reproductions have been recreated not merely in their external appearance but also in their inner essence; they deserve recognition not simply as copies but as the ultimate in traditional craft objects.
This exhibition memorializes the celebration of the Imperial enthronement by bringing together masterpieces carefully selected from the hundreds of reproductions that have been made. We would be delighted if, as you encounter the beauty and skill of Tenpyo times brought back to life, you sense the significance of passing on Japanese traditional techniques as well.

Works from the exhibition

Period

January 26 to March 27, 2022

*Download the list of changes in works on display
*There will be an exhibition change during the course of exhibition.
*The period is subject to change.

Hours

10:00-18:00 *Friday and Saturday 10:00-20:00

*Open until 20:00 on February 10, March 20 and 21
*Last admission: 30 minutes before closing
*Hours are subject to change.

Closed

Tuesdays

*Open on March 22

Admission
Adult General
¥1,500
Advance
¥1,300
University and
High School Student
General
¥1,000
Advance
¥800

Elementary, junior high school students and under are free.
*With a certificate of disability, the admission fee of a disabled person and a care-giver will be waived.
*Advance tickets will be available on the website from November 17, 2021 to January 25, 2022.

Discount

◇100 Yen Discount
•For presenting a ticket to a thematic exhibition at the National Art Center, Tokyo, or Mori Art Museum

*Only one discount per person

Audio Guide

¥600

English audio guide available

Organized by

Office of the Shosoin Treasure House, Imperial Household Agency, Suntory Museum of Art, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)

Research Support from

Nara National Museum, Kyushu National Museum

Sponsored by

Suntory Holdings Limited, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd, Live Art Books Inc.

Supported by

Japan Kogei Association (Nihon-Kogeikai)

*Unauthorized reproduction or use of texts or images from this site is prohibited.

2023 January

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 February

  • Exhibition
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2023 March

  • Exhibition
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2023 April

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2023 May

  • Exhibition
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2023 June

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 July

  • Exhibition
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  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 August

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 September

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 October

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 November

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2023 December

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 January

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 February

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 March

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 April

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 May

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 June

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 July

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 August

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 September

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 October

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 November

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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2024 December

  • Exhibition
  • Closed
  • Tea Ceremony
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