Japanese printing.

A turned wood stupa with cylindrical tiers and knop finial (19cm. high, 10.3cm. diameter) containing the 31-column printed prayer scroll (45cm. long, most columns with five characters), the wood or copper printed text being a prayer of thanksgiving to the Buddha for the Imperial victory over The Emi no Oshikatsu (Fujiwara Nakamaro) faction in 764 AD, housed in a modern wooden box, some damage to stupa and text, but generally in fine condition; together with a replica pagoda with additional facsimile scrolls

Eighth-century Japanese printing. One of the iconic symbols of Buddhism is the stupa, or reliquary, used to store the remains of Buddha or a Buddhist saint. Originally these took the form of simple rounded mounds, but evolved into more complex buildings, such as the pagoda, in other parts of South-East Asia. In Japan, miniature forms of the pagoda were on occasion used to store relics or charms.

Five similar stupas from the Hyakumanto are illustrated on p. 31 of Smith, Harris and Clark, Japanese Art/Masterpieces in The British Museum (London, 1990). The authors state that the prayers contained in each pagoda are the earliest surviving examples of printed Japanese text, concluding that: “100,000 of the stupas were given to each of the ten great monasteries in the Kansai region”. For another copy of the jishin'in dharani, also with a thirty-one column text and five characters per column, compare the example in The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Japanese Books and Manuscripts (Sold Lot 52, Christie’s New York, 7th October 1988). A further example was catalogued as one of “The Million Charms of Empress Shotoku” in the “Dawn of Printing” exhibition normally on display in The John Ritblat Gallery at the British Library.

Empress Shotoku’s era and reign appears to have been characterised by faction and dispute. This was a situation exacerbated by the political ambitions of the Buddhist Bonze, Dokyo who sought favour with the Empress in an attempt to increase his power and authority. Understandably, some courtiers and notably Fujiwara Nakamaro, were concerned by Dokyo’s influence. A revolution ensued in 764 AD, with the result that Nakamaro’s supporters were defeated, and Nakamaro himself was killed. It is possible therefore that the actual impetus for the manufacture and distribution of this group of Stupas came from Dokyo, rather than from The Empress.

However, Dokyo’s faction appear to have overplayed their hand, suggesting that Dokyo should consider taking the throne as his own. The Empress is said to have sent her loyal retainer, Wake no Kiyomaro, to seek advice from Hachiman at Usa, in an attempt to take the right decision for the future of Imperial power. Kiyomaro returned with the verdict that a commoner was unable to become Emperor, an answer which resulted in Kiyomaro’s exile in 768 AD. The tide had changed, however, and the following year, 769 AD, Konin-Tenno, Japan’s forty-ninth Emperor, came to the throne. His first act was to banish Dokyo to Shimotsuke, and to recall from exile the faithful Kiyomaru, who was appointed Udaijin.