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

Koshi in Japanese refers to a litter, which is carried on the shoulders of bearers. Koshi include Renyo, which carries persons of noble rank and Mikoshi, which carries deities or the bones of Buddha. As for Mikoshi, banners (Ban) or metal ornaments are hung from the four corners of the roof. This banner for Mikoshi would have been used for decorating the Koshi litter that carried the statue of Shotoku-taishi or the bones of Buddha.
Colorful glass beads are elaborately combined, one line of the quatrain with seven Chinese characters in each line is inscribed and glass beads strings (Youraku) hang from the bottom of the banner. Temple tradition says that this banner decorated the Mikoshi that carried retired Emperor Shirakawa (1053 - 1129).
On the other hand, the canopy decorated with glass beads called "Rurito," which was handed down in Nanzen-ji Temple in Kyoto, was produced in the same Ming dynasty period (1368 - 1644) as this banner. Its tear-drop shaped top and parts in the form of upturned bracken fronds (Warabite) are made of wood and the structural shape including the rib is made of copper and iron. The glass beads are rather small, and transparent or translucent, which are strung on cooper wire to decorate each part.