Japan: Lost Horyuji Temple fresco from a pre-1949 photograph: No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Paradise detail, Amitabha Buddha face and hands

Hōryū-ji (Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji, or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving both as a seminary and a monastery.

In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures.

The kondo, or great hall of the temple, dating in part to the 7th century, is famous for its 7th century Buddhist murals. Unfortunately, on January 26, 1949, a fire in the kondo caused very severe damage to the murals, many of which were destroyed.

The murals of the kondō comprise fifty walls; four larger walls, eight mid-sized walls and thirty-eight small wall areas inside the building. The original murals were removed after the fire incident in 1949 and are kept in storage. Twenty small wall paintings that escaped the fire remain in place, while reproductions have replaced the lost frescoes. The ancient Horyu-ji frescoes represent Pure Land Shaka, Amida, Miroku and Yakushi Nyorai Bhuddas. There are artistic links with similar murals in Dunhuang, China and Ajanta, India. Some authorities link the paintings to a Goguryeo monk named Tamjing who lived in 7th century Ikaruga, but this is disputed.

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