Buddhist statue photos, A4 size x 8 / Toshodai-ji Temple / Buddhist statues in the Shinpo-zo / Kozo Ogawa

A set of 8 large photographs of Buddha Statues from the New Treasure Hall purchased at Toshodai-ji Temple, a World Heritage site in Nara.

The New Treasure Hall is a storage and exhibition facility built in 1970 to manage and house the cultural properties preserved by Toshodai-ji Temple.
It houses numerous wooden sculptures created in the late Nara period.

The photographs are by Kozo Ogawa, a leading figure in Buddhist statue photography. He succeeded in capturing the diverse expressions of the Buddha statues using unique lighting and angles.

Among the 8 photographs, the particularly famous standing statue of the Tathagata, with its flowing and beautiful form, is known as the Toshodai-ji Torso and has captivated many artists and enthusiasts.

As these are very old wooden statues, many are missing parts of their bodies. However, this seems to resonate with the Japanese aesthetic of finding beauty in decay, further enhancing the charm of the Buddha statues.

① Standing Statue of the Tathagata / Nara Period
② Standing Statue of the King of Many Treasures Bodhisattva / Nara Period
③ Standing Statue of Yakushi Nyorai / Nara Period
④ Standing Statue of Mahabrahma / Nara Period
⑤ Standing Statue of Eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva / Nara Period
⑥ Standing Statue of Simhanada Bodhisattva / Nara Period
⑦ Bodhisattva Head / Nara Period
⑧ Seated Statue of Dainichi Nyorai / Heian Period

* 8 sheets / 30cm x 21cm each
* Issued by: Toshodai-ji Temple
* Photography: Kozo Ogawa
* Production: Asukaen Co., Ltd.
* Printing: Kyodo Seihan Printing

* I found 2 postcards, so I'll include them as a bonus.

* Although some time has passed since purchase, they have been stored away and rarely taken out. While there is some slight yellowing on the margins, the photographs themselves remain beautiful.