Todaiji Temple West Gate: Inscribed Board

JAPAN, Nara; Nara period

This inscribed board was carved in the 8th century and originally hung from Todaiji Temple’s West Gate. It was created from several pieces of cypress wood overlaid with linen. The two rows of characters in formal script announce the temple’s official name as “Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings of Golden Light for the Country’s Protection.”
The surrounding cloud-patterned edges are ornamented with carvings of Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors, among which the two figures kneeling at the top are Brahma and Sakra, with the Four Heavenly Kings below to the left and right, and Guhyapada and Narayana on both sides at the bottom. Although the sign and the carvings have undergone repair, the board continues to show signs of damage. The inscribed board was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1901.