Heian

A National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima: a late-Heian court costume set with ornamental swords, a quiver and vermilion sword boxes dated to 1183.

A National Treasure on silk dated 1153, the twenty-armed Fugen Enmei at Onomichi's Jiko-ji bears a rare dated inscription, a benchmark for late Heian painting.

A rare Heian-period great armor at Itsukushima Shrine, laced with cherry-stenciled yellow leather over wide plates and tied by tradition to Minamoto no Tametomo.

A late Heian great armor at Itsukushima Shrine, laced in indigo so dark it reads as black. Helmet and sleeves survive, said to be the gift of Taira no Shigemori.

A Heian National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine, the Kan Fugen-kyo in gold on indigo paper, brushed jointly by Taira no Kiyomori and his half-brother Yorimori.

A National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine: a seven-scroll Lotus Sutra brushed in gold on indigo paper around 1170 by Taira no Kiyomori and his half-brother Yorimori.

A Heian painted cypress fan at Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima, a National Treasure since 1952, showing the poem-picture designs of the period.

A Heian tachi by the Ko-Bizen smith Tomonari, its tang unshortened and signed, held by Itsukushima Shrine and linked by tradition to the Taira. National Treasure.

A 12th-century tachi by Masatsune, leading smith of Ko-Bizen, with a deep curve near the hilt; called his most beautiful blade. A National Treasure in Fukuyama.

The Heike Nōkyō is a set of 33 sumptuously decorated sutra scrolls dedicated to Itsukushima Shrine in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori and the Taira clan, designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Adorned with lavish gold and silver leaf and vivid polychrome paintings, each scroll represents the pinnacle of Heian-period decorative arts. High-quality reproductions are on permanent display at the Itsukushima Shrine Treasure Hall, offering visitors a magnificent cultural experience alongside the UNESCO World Heritage island of Miyajima.