Buddhist Paintings of Nara: A Homecoming Exhibition at Nara National Museum

An exhibition of Buddhist paintings from Nara, known as Nanto butsuga, is on view at the Nara National Museum until 13 September. The show features works on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, alongside pieces from Japanese collections, including the Nara National Museum's own holdings. This marks the first comprehensive survey of Nara's Buddhist painting tradition, realized after nearly two decades of planning between the two institutions. The exhibition traces the evolution of these sacred artworks from the Nara period (710-794) through the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1192-1333) periods, highlighting the cosmopolitan Tenpyo style and the revivalist works based on its iconography. It also includes pieces from the now-lost Uchiyama Eikyuji temple, offering a rare glimpse into its former glory. The show underscores Nara's role as the eastern terminus of the Silk Roads, where Buddhism transformed indigenous society, championed by Prince Shotoku Taishi and Emperor Shomu, who dedicated the great bronze Vairocana Buddha at Todaiji Temple in 752. Despite partial destruction over the centuries, Nara has preserved its religious traditions, where Buddhism coexists with kami worship. The exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Nara National Museum, and features the long-awaited homecoming of Boston's Nara-related Buddhist paintings.