This miniature wooden pagoda houses one of a million dharani – from the Sanskrit meaning a charm or prayer which could be used to ward off evil. Collectively the pagoda and the dharani are known as The Hyakumantō darani or ‘One Million Pagoda Dharani’. They are the oldest existing examples of printing in Japan and one of the earliest in the world. They were printed between 764 and 770 on the orders of Empress Shōtoku.
The Hyakumantō darani were distributed among the ten leading Buddhist temples in Western Japan.
Find out why scholars can’t decide how they were printed: ow.ly/9hqs50x1ACF
On display as part of our current Buddhism exhibition, on until 23 February 2020.
The Hyakumantō darani
The Hyakumantō Darani (百万塔陀羅尼), or the "One Million Pagodas and Dharani Prayers", is a famous large-scale commission of woodblock printing, the earliest recorded use of woodblock printing in Japan, though probably not the first.
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