Chusonji Temple Sutra Repository: Candlestick

JAPAN, Iwate, Nishiiwai; Heian period

This candlestick is kept in the sutra repository at Chusonji Temple. It was a ritual instrument used at the time of the founding of the repository in 1122 during the Heian period. It is the earliest extant candlestick inlaid with mother-of-pearl in Japan and was listed as a National Treasure in 1958.
The wooden candlestick is 81 cm high and stands on a circular base with a diameter of 24.4 cm. The bowl is supported on a square shaft. The entire candlestick is lacquered in black and sprinkled with fine gold powder, a technique known as maki-e. The patterns of hybrid flowers and butterflies are inlaid and are separated by small green or transparent beads at intervals. The top of the shaft is inlaid with gilt copper alloy decorations of hybrid flowers and scrolling vines on a stipple background. This elegant and sophisticated candlestick is characteristic of the late Heian period (794–1185).