| The Shôsôin is an Imperial repository located at [[Todai-ji|Tôdai-ji]] in [[Nara]]. Constructed by [[Empress Koken|Empress Kôken]] during the [[Nara period]], it is not only an exceptional example of 8th century ''azekura'' storehouse architecture, but contains more than 9,000 items from the period, including textiles, musical instruments, aromatic woods, pieces of glass, and game boards, many of them of [[Silk Road]] origins and bearing Persian design elements or evidence of Roman manufacture. | | The Shôsôin is an Imperial repository located at [[Todai-ji|Tôdai-ji]] in [[Nara]]. Constructed by [[Empress Koken|Empress Kôken]] during the [[Nara period]], it is not only an exceptional example of 8th century ''azekura'' storehouse architecture, but contains more than 9,000 items from the period, including textiles, musical instruments, aromatic woods, pieces of glass, and game boards, many of them of [[Silk Road]] origins and bearing Persian design elements or evidence of Roman manufacture. |