Name/TitleTenjukoku Shūchō Mandala (天寿国繍帳), Chūgūji, NT

About this objectThis embroidery was made to commemorate the death of Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, 574–622), a promoter of Buddhism in Japan. A source records that Tachibana no Ōiratsume (橘大郎女), one of his widows, commissioned it to represent the Buddhist Pure Land to which he had departed so that she could envision his afterlife. It was embroidered by maidservants of the Imperial Court, with the permission of the Empress Suiko (推古天皇, r.592-628).
The original was stitched in silk on a series of large square curtains, approximately 5 metres across, but only a small portion of this, measuring approximately 89 by 83 cm, survives. The remains today also include 13th century repairs.

Date Made7th & 13th centuries

PeriodAsuka

Place MadeJapan

Subject and Association KeywordsArrivals

Subject and Association KeywordsSilk

Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Meeks 2007; Mita 2017; Pradel 1996.

Medium and MaterialsSilk thread on gauze and twill.

TechniqueEmbroidered

Measurements88.8 x 81.8 cm

Credit LineChūgūji: photos provided by Benrido.

Object numberEXH21: Japan NT