The “eye-opening” ceremony for the Great Buddha of Tōdaiji, held in 752 (Tenpyō Shōhō 4/4/9). The first ritual of its kind on the Japanese archipelago, it was conducted at the behest of Emperor Shōmu and Empress Kōmyō, its chief participants. In addition to the senior clergy who advised the imperial couple, this lavish ceremony was attended by ten thousand priests and one hundred civil and military officials. Many of the objects used at the ritual were preserved in the Shōsō-in, including ornaments from the headdresses worn by Emperor Shōmu and Empress Kōmyō; brushes, an ink stick, and silk ropes used for the part of the ceremony where the pupils of the Great Buddha were ritually painted in; gigaku dance masks and dance costumes; ornaments; and objects donated by the aristocracy.