Todaiji Temple Shosoin: Lotus Pond

JAPAN, Nara; Nara period

This lotus pond was offered to Todaiji Temple in Nara by Empress Dowager Komyo in memory of Emperor Shomu (reigned 724–749) of the Nara period. It is also thought to have been one of the ornaments used to decorate the altar during the enshrinement of the Vairocana Buddha statue at Todaiji Temple.
The lotus pond, which measures 33 cm in diameter, is carved from a piece of hackberry. The base is uneven and the pond is outlined with rocks which are white with traces of red, green, brown, and silver paint. The whitish green base is overlaid with grains of white sand and shells, and arising from the heap of sand are copper lotus stems and wooden lotuses, buds, petals, and leaves. The flowers, buds, and curvaceous leaves are covered in gold, while the other leaves are covered in silver.