The prized possessions of Emperor Shōmu (701–756; r. 724–749) donated to the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji were inventoried in the Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures (Kokka chinpō chō) at the time of their offering. The importance of this priest’s surplice (kesa) is reflected in its position at the very top of that list. Shōmu was the first emperor to ordain as a Buddhist priest. The treasure before you, which is comprised of silks in different colors joined together and quilted with a precise running stich, symbolizes his ardent faith.

　This cup has been carved from the rare material of rhinoceros horn. Its elegant form replete with a lotus-shaped mouth makes it all the more wondrous. The warm brown shade dotted with white specks suggests the material was sourced from a single-horned Indian rhinoceros. How the cup before you arrived among the objects preserved at the Shōsō-in is unclear, though a different rhinoceros-horn cup is listed among Shōmu’s donated possessions inventoried in the Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures.

　This was part of the “Bird and Plant Folding Screen” listed in the Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures. It was produced using the technique of clamp-resist dyeing (kyōkechi).

　This scroll compiles nine documents, among them materials written by the profoundly influential Nara-period priests Rōben (869–773) and Dōkyō (d. 772). The former was the very first abbot (bettō) of Tōdai-ji, and the former had the ear of Empress Regnant Kōken (718–770; r. 749–758). Among the documents compiled here are instructions for the transcription of sutras in Dōkyō’s hand.

　Some have suggested that this container with a flower-shaped body and a turtle-shaped lid was used for storing longevity elixirs, the special potions imbibed in the hopes of transforming into an immortal. The turtle’s vivid red eyes are made from inset amber, and the container is formed entirely of serpentinite stone. The verisimilitude of the figure makes it an enchanting example of animal sculpture.

　Penknives (tōsu) were small swords used to cut paper, shave off writing from wooden tablets for writing notes (mokkan), and also served as decorative accessories hung from the waist. This is the largest of the penknives preserved among the Shōsō-in Treasures. The straight hilt and blade that widens at the base are characteristics that differ from standard Nara-period penknives.

　This decorative box is likely to have been used for presenting offerings to Buddhist icons. Its decorations painted in gold and silver include floral motifs, parakeets, and butterflies. Another box preserved at the Shōsō-in is identical in its size, techniques, and inscription. It is thought that the two once formed a pair and belonged to the Senju-dō Hall at Tōdai-ji, no longer extant.

　These are remaining parts from a zushi-style lacquered shrine that most likely housed a Buddhist statue or Buddhist sutras. Most of these fragments were wooden components comprising the roof and the frame of the shrine. Originally, it was a six-sided shrine in a shape resembling palatial architecture.

　This vessel with a shallow lid has been carved into the shape of a sacred flower known as a hōsōge. It is characterized by its restrained coloring and the way the natural textures of the wood are brought out. An ink inscription at its base reads “kaidan,” suggesting that this comes from the Ordination Hall (Kaidan-in) at Tōdai-ji built for ordination ceremonies after the Chinese monk Jianzhen (J. Ganjin; 698–763) came to Japan in Tenpyō Shōhō 5 (753).

　This small rack with a frame structured like a torii-gate has been crafted from red sandalwood. At the top and base of the two vertical poles of the rack are upward-turned ivory hooks that face in opposite directions. The base has been decorated with thin tortoiseshell. Its original use is unclear, but it was possibly used for hanging something light and scroll-like, such as a painting or fabric.

　This mirror has elegant scrolling floral motifs expanding out from its center on the back. The designs use great green turbo shell cut into different shapes, contrasting beautifully with reddish amber inlay. In the interstices of the central motif are chips of turquoise and other small stones in blue, green, and white, their mosaic-like decoration enhancing the shimmering resplendence of the whole. This is the largest of the extant mirrors adorned in mother-of-pearl preserved at the Shōsō-in.

　The four-stringed biwa is a relative of the lute believed to have originated in Persia (present-day Iran). Here, the reverse and sides are beautifully decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay. The composition on the leather strip affixed as a plectrum guard beneath the strings with a dancer and musicians performing as they ride upon a white elephant offers precious testimony of the heights achieved in eighth-century painting during the Tang dynasty (618–907) in China.

　For the first anniversary of Shōmu’s death, huge banners were used that, if reconstructed, are estimated to have measured over thirteen meters. This is a decorative end for a leg streamer from one such enormous banner. An advanced weave structure has been used to express an extraordinary design in nishiki silk that includes vivid waterfowl and a sense of movement to the vegetal motifs.