GREAT BUDDHA HALL

Nara, Japan

Todai-ji Eastern Great Temple is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Its Great Buddha Hall houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. Deer, regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, roam the grounds freely. The temple where the Todai-ji sits today dates back to 728, when Emperor Shomu built it as an honor to his first son, Prince Motoi, who died a year after birth. The Great Buddha Hall has been rebuilt twice after fires. The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense (187 feet long by 160 feet wide), it is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor. Until 1998, it was the world's largest wooden building. It has since been surpassed by modern structures, such as the Japanese baseball stadium Odate Jukai Dome, among others. The Great Buddha statue has been recast several times for various reasons, including earthquake damage. The current hands of the statue were made in the Momoyama Period (1568-1615), and the head was made in the Edo period (1615-1867).

This sketch was done during the same trip to Japan as the Osaka Temple sketch. The excursion from Osaka to Nara was worthwhile, especially with herds of domesticated deer roaming the temple grounds. Much of the architectural detail and craftsmanship in this temple is a lost craft, not seen in any contemporary design.