Exhibition/event has ended.
The 90th anniversary of the Full-size photography of the murals in the Golden Hall of Horyuji temple. 12 Full-Size Collotype Reproductions of the Murals in the Golden Hall of Horyuji temple
Benrido Collotype Gallery
Finished
SHARE
Benrido was founded in 1887 and has had in-house photographers since the opening of its collotype atelier in 1905. Initially, the company primarily photographed landscapes of Kyoto's famous sites, including shrines and temples. In 1907, however, the company began photographing treasures, including the Buddha statues at Horyuji Temple, for postcards. Since then, the company has photographed cultural properties and printed them using Collotype for the treasure catalogs of many shrines and temples, as well as exhibition catalogs for museums.
One of the most significant works, not only in the history of Benrido's cultural properties photography but also in the history of photography in Japan, is the series of photographs of the murals in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple, taken by Benrido in 1935.
The glass photographic plates, taken using the latest technology utilizing various photography methods at the time, including Full-size black-and-white photographs, Infrared photographs, and Four-color separation photographs, were highly regarded as the only remaining photographs that could convey what the murals were like at the time, as the murals that were destroyed in a fire in the Golden Hall in 1949. They were designated an Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 2015. This exhibition commemorates the 90th anniversary of that photography and brings together all 12 full-size collotype reproductions made at the time, as well as related materials.The reproductions are exhibited in the same locations as in the actual Golden Hall as much as possible. Please enjoy the majestic space.Until November 8.Sat.2025.
One of the most significant works, not only in the history of Benrido's cultural properties photography but also in the history of photography in Japan, is the series of photographs of the murals in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple, taken by Benrido in 1935.
The glass photographic plates, taken using the latest technology utilizing various photography methods at the time, including Full-size black-and-white photographs, Infrared photographs, and Four-color separation photographs, were highly regarded as the only remaining photographs that could convey what the murals were like at the time, as the murals that were destroyed in a fire in the Golden Hall in 1949. They were designated an Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 2015. This exhibition commemorates the 90th anniversary of that photography and brings together all 12 full-size collotype reproductions made at the time, as well as related materials.The reproductions are exhibited in the same locations as in the actual Golden Hall as much as possible. Please enjoy the majestic space.Until November 8.Sat.2025.
Schedule | Jun 16 (Mon) 2025-Nov 8 (Sat) 2025 Opening Hours Information
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Free | ||||
| Venue | Benrido Collotype Gallery https://www.benrido.co.jp/  | ||||
| Location | 302 Benzaitencho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-0093 | ||||
| Access | 7 minute walk from exit 4 at Marutamachi Station on the Karasuma subway line. | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it    |
Back to Articles
SHARE
No comments yet