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Wall-painting
on the ground floor
of the Five-storied Pagoda
Heian period(¤)<Wood on colour>
| The wall painting in the ground floor is designated to the National Treasure as well as the building of the Five-storied Pagoda. This wall painting is considered as the origin of the art history of the Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, for the various deities in the two sorts of mandala, i.e., the Diamoind or Thunderbolt Realm (kongokai) and the Matrix or Womb Realm(taizokai), and the founders of Shingon schools are dipicted completely. This is the only one that the date of compostion is certain among those in the 10th century. Moreover, it is highly evaluated as the excellent work. Especially the figure of Kukai is the oldest among the extant drawings and paintings. |