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Important Cultural Property

The Wadokyo Edition of Daihannyaharamittakyo (Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra), Volume 250

大般若波羅蜜多経巻第二百五十(和銅経)
The Wadokyo Edition of Daihannyaharamittakyo (Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra), Volume 250 (大般若波羅蜜多経巻第二百五十(和銅経))
PLATE IImage: Kyoto National Museum, via ColBase — CC BY 4.0
At a glance — Calligraphy & Book · Nara period, 8th century · held by Kyoto National Museum · designated Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Fact Sheet

Designation
Important Cultural Property (重要文化財)
Date
701–800
Dimensions
Height24cm:Width785cm
Catalogue ID
cobas-4468

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In the fifth year of Wado (712), the Minister of the Bureau of Rites, Lord Nagaya, had six hundred scrolls of the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra copied in memory of Emperor Monmu, in accordance to the wishes of the emperor's younger sister, the princess Kibi Naishinno. Later, this set, which was systematically copied with seventeen characters to a line in a calligraphic style of Sui dynasty sutras, came to be known as the Wado Sutras. The paper is hemp paper, and its distinguishing feature is that it was not lined to demarcate the columns. It is valuable as a representative copied sutra of the early Nara period.

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.

Record & Sources

Cite this page: “The Wadokyo Edition of Daihannyaharamittakyo (Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra), Volume 250(大般若波羅蜜多経巻第二百五十(和銅経)).” Treasures of Japan, catalogue no. cobas-4468. Kyoto National Museum. https://treasures.yamato-kenkou.com/treasures/the-wadokyo-edition-of-daihannyaharamittakyo-mahaprajnaparamita-sutra-volume-250/ — entry last verified 1 November 2026.
Full record data (as published in the official catalogue record)
  • Genre: Calligraphy
  • Cultural property designation: Important Cultural Property
  • Category: Calligraphy:Category:Books:Buddhist texts|Calligraphy:Region:Japan|Calligraphy:Period:Japan:Nara period
  • Size: Height24cm:Width785cm
  • 員数: 1帖
  • 分類: 書跡
  • 種別: 書跡:分類:典籍:仏典|書跡:地域:日本|書跡:時代:日本:奈良
  • 時代世紀: 奈良時代 前期 ・8世紀
  • 法量: 縦24cm:横785cm
  • 銘文等: 和銅五年の奥書あり

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