Muroji, a magnificent temple founded in the eighth century, is known both for its dramatic location and the exceptional quality of its ritual objects and art dating from the ninth and tenth centuries of the Heian period. Sherry Fowler makes extensive use of primary sources to explore the circumstances surrounding the creation and function of the temple's main images and considers why major works of early Heian sculpture were housed in such a remote mountain setting. Employing a multifaceted approach that looks at Muroji's art and architecture in socio-political context, she explores the establishment of the temple, its role in the religious life and power structure of the region, and the ways in which the temple reconfigured its early history to suit its later circumstances.
目次
Below the surface of Mt. Murt -- Religious affiliations and contested histories -- Buildings and rebuildings of Muroji architecture -- Stories of the pagoda -- Kifukuji connetions at the Maitraya Hall -- The main hall -- Okunoin -- Outside and inside of the Muroji golden hall -- Shifting identities and trading places in the golden hall -- Manifestations of multiplicity at Muroji.
