Description
The sides of this large, hexagonal lantern are decorated with openwork designs of linked jewels, pine-bark diamonds, linked tortoise-shells, Sanskrit characters and a pair of Kongo Rikishi (Vajra-pani) on the door. From the openwork inscription, it is known to be the oldest, dated hanging lantern. It was made by Sadasumi of Owari Province, and was formerly owned by Choryoji temple in Hakusan. Its archaic form and the exquisite, detailed craftsmanship of its decorative designs are representative of Kamakura-period metalwork.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
June 8, 2026