National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

These are flags (Ban) upon which seeds, Sanmayagyo (the symbol of each Buddha) and a Bodhisattva figure are embroidered. These flags vary in size and a total of 17 flags (7 large ones and 10 small ones) have been handed down to the present. Although part of this flag is missing, it comprises a triangular head, a main body of 3 tsubo (9.9 m2), flag hands, flag legs and a tongue (a belt). The flag head made of a yellow twill fabric has embroidery of a Buddhist cross on it and a bronze fitting with a ring, on which a number is carved. For the main body, twill fabrics in different colors (brown, yellowish green and light blue) are used for each square, where circles made of a white twill fabric are created and seeds, Sanmayagyo and a Bodhisattva figure are embroidered in this order from the top in each of the circles. Circles with the same embroidery designs are also used for the back of the flag.

The seeds, Sanmayagyo and Bodhisattva figure of every flag represents the same Bodhisattva and the design of the Bodhisattva figure of each flag represents one of 32 deities out of the 37 Kongokai deities (Shiharamitsu Bodhisattva, Jurokudai Bodhisattva, Hakkuyo Bodhisattva and Shisho Bodhisattva) and the large flags were for Shiharamitsu Bodhisattva and Geshikuyo Bodhisattva. It is estimated that there were originally 32 flags. While some flags show complication in the design and the order probably due to later repairs, this set of flags is very rare in terms of flag design.

Inside one flag, a piece of paper upon which “奉行上卿前中納言正三位藤原朝臣隆長” was written with sumi was found. Since Fujiwara no Takanaga was in office from 1323 to 1325, this work is also valuable as a reference embroidery work in the Kamakura period, the creation period of which can be narrowed down.
This set of flags was possessed by Hyozu Taisha Shrine in Yasu, Shiga.