Photo/Illutration A CT scan shows a cross-section of the core material, which is a folded mat apparently made with leaves and stems of Manchurian wild rice. The upper part is hollowed out and stuffed with cotton to make it comfy. (Provided by the Kyushu National Museum)

NARA--Granted, it’s only a reproduction, but it is no ordinary armrest.

The item that will go on display at the Nara National Museum’s special fall exhibition from Oct. 26 is an exact copy of an armrest cherished by Nara Period Emperor Shomu (701-756).

But what is even wilder is that the original treasure, more than 1,200 years old, will be displayed alongside it.

The replica was created by the Imperial Household Agency’s Office of the Shosoin Treasure House.

After the emperor’s death, the exquisite Armrest Covered in a Patterned Silk (Nishiki) of Phoenix Medallions on a Purple Ground was stored at the Shosoin Repository, along with other items that he treasured in life.

It is one of two armrests included in “Kokka Chimpo Cho” (List of the Nation’s Rare Treasures), which details his beloved items stored at the repository. 

The silk fabric features motifs of phoenixes and grapevine arabesques, which came from eastern and western Eurasia.

In 2015, during a cross-section CT scan taken at the Kyushu National Museum in Fukuoka Prefecture, it was found that the core material of the armrest is a mat made of leaves and stems of what appears to be Manchurian wild rice, folded in zig-zag fashion.

The replica is the exact same size as the original: It measures 80.5 centimeters, is 25 cm wide and 20 cm tall. lt weighs almost the same as the original at 4.6 kilograms.

“I think we managed to re-create it quite faithfully,” said Takehiko Iida, director of the Office of the Shosoin Treasure House here.

The 76th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures will be held at the Nara National Museum until Nov. 11 to showcase a total of 57 treasures and replicas from the repository.

Reservations for assigned times are necessary.

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