With generous support from Shinji Shumei-kai, our mother organization, this spectacular work was completed at the end of last December. This project was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts & Music and the Kawashima Selkon Textiles Company. We are deeply indebted to them for their patient restoration and superb craftsmanship.

     The idea of this project came from ‘Pensive Bodhisattva,’ which is the No. 2 wall painting in the Kondo (Main Hall) of Horyu-ji Temple in Nara. A special team from the University, with the assistance of Professor Makoto Hata and many other specialists, carried out the task of reproducing this painting. It took a year and a half to complete the process of investigating, researching, and restoring the painting, which was carefully copied by Japanese painter, Professor Tamako Kataoka. This restored drawing became part of the University’s collection. The work focused on reviving the deep spiritual outlook observed in the original painting. For this purpose, they studied ancient Asian materials, past drawings and old photo images. They also used cutting-edge technology such as computer graphics. Making good use of their research findings, the team successfully reproduced the missing details, giving a new look to the blurred face and eyes. Their desire was to express the historical significance of this piece by reviving the aging beauty of this one thousand three hundred year old wall painting.

      During the actual weaving, the above copy of the drawing provided a replica of the original for the weavers to follow. The aforementioned company formed a special team for this project. A sketch was drawn to show the weaving pattern. Six thousand colored threads were then dyed. Four master weavers worked tirelessly for a year and a half to create this masterpiece, which is an attribute of the company’s technical refinement of its one-hundred-seventy-year history of weaving Nishijin textiles. The most technical challenge was how to add the feeling of age to the fabric. This filtration of time into the woven cloth was an unprecedented undertaking.