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At times, the storehouse went unopened for decades or even over a century; when it was opened in [[1833]], it had been 140 years since it had last been opened. In addition to heavy metal locks holding the doors closed, those locks in turn are ceremonially sealed with ropes and paper inscribed with imperial orders; the storehouse could not be opened except by imperial order.<ref name=tnmexhibit>Gallery labels, Shôsôin exhibition, Tokyo National Museum, November 2019.</ref>
At times, the storehouse went unopened for decades or even over a century; when it was opened in [[1833]], it had been 140 years since it had last been opened. In addition to heavy metal locks holding the doors closed, those locks in turn are ceremonially sealed with ropes and paper inscribed with imperial orders; the storehouse could not be opened except by imperial order.<ref name=tnmexhibit>Gallery labels, Shôsôin exhibition, Tokyo National Museum, November 2019.</ref>
A notable four-month survey of the contents of the storehouse was conducted by the antiquarian [[Ninagawa Noritane]] ([[1835]]-[[1882]]), painter [[Takahashi Yuichi]] ([[1826]]-[[1896]]), Museum Bureau official [[Uchida Masao]], and photographer [[Yokoyama Matsusaburo|Yokoyama Matsusaburô]] ([[1838]]-[[1884]]) in [[1872]]. This was done as part of a larger survey of sites and objects of national heritage significance in [[Ise]], [[Nagoya]], [[Nara]], and [[Kyoto]]. An exhibition was later held at the [[Tokyo National Museum]] featuring results of this survey.<ref>Jennifer Harris, "'Odd and Bizarre': The Export of Japanese Aesthetics to Nineteenth-Century Australia," in Harris and Tets Kimura (eds.), ''Exporting Japanese Aesthetics'', Brighton: Sussex Academic Press (2020), 57n16.</ref>
Though associated directly with Tôdai-ji for over a millennium, the storehouse was placed under the authority of the [[Ministry of the Interior]] (''Naimushô'') in [[1875]], and in [[1884]] under that of the [[Imperial Household Ministry]]. The Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichô'') continues to oversee the site and its collection today.
Though associated directly with Tôdai-ji for over a millennium, the storehouse was placed under the authority of the [[Ministry of the Interior]] (''Naimushô'') in [[1875]], and in [[1884]] under that of the [[Imperial Household Ministry]]. The Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichô'') continues to oversee the site and its collection today.
==Selected Objects in the Shôsôin Collection==
==Selected Objects in the Shôsôin Collection==
*Brush, ink stick, and blue silk cord used in the [[752]] eye-opening ceremony of the Great Buddha at Tôdai-ji
*Brush, ink stick, and blue silk cord used in the [[752]] eye-opening ceremony of the Great Buddha at Tôdai-ji
*Shoes said to have been worn by Emperor Shômu to the eye-opening ceremony.
*Ranjatai, a large and famous piece of incense wood, today about five feet in length, and weighing roughly 25 pounds. The Court granted permission for pieces to be cut off by [[Ashikaga Yoshimasa]] in [[1465]] and by [[Oda Nobunaga]] in [[1574]]. Nobunaga then gave portions of what he had taken to [[Sen no Rikyu|Sen no Rikyû]] and [[Tsuda Sogyu|Tsuda Sôgyû]] as gifts.<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 45-46, 183n14.</ref>
*Ranjatai, a large and famous piece of incense wood, today about five feet in length, and weighing roughly 25 pounds. The Court granted permission for pieces to be cut off by [[Ashikaga Yoshimasa]] in [[1465]] and by [[Oda Nobunaga]] in [[1574]]. Nobunaga then gave portions of what he had taken to [[Sen no Rikyu|Sen no Rikyû]] and [[Tsuda Sogyu|Tsuda Sôgyû]] as gifts.<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 45-46, 183n14.</ref>
*Various textiles, including some from Persia or other parts of Central Asia. Many of these were produced specifically for the eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha at Tôdai-ji, or for memorial ceremonies performed in [[757]] on the first anniversary of the death of Emperor Shômu. Along with items in the collection of [[Horyu-ji|Hôryû-ji]], these are believed to be the oldest extant textiles in the world which have never been buried in a tomb.<ref name=tnmexhibit/>
==References==
==References==