The Asuka Beauties

The "Asuka Beauties" is a famous painting from the Takamatsuzuka Tomb in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It was discovered in 1972 by a farmer while digging a hole for ginger roots. The tomb revealed not only this, but also other colorful murals. Althouhg the exact time of its creation is unknown, it's thought to have been built between the late 7th and early 8th century. This was during the Asuka period, a time when Japan was blending ideas from China and Korea to establish its own culture. This means it’s safe to say that Japan is a blend of Korean and Chinese culture.

This painting, Asuka Beauties, show four noblewomen, or courtiers, dressed in flowing Korean-style robes in shades of red, green, and blue. They stand gracefully, holding fans/staffs, with their hair tied up in elegant styles. Behind them are four men in similar outfits, plus drawings of animals and guardian gods from Chinese myths, like dragons and tigers. The whole tomb's walls and ceiling tell a story of the afterlife, with stars and the sun and moon painted above.

What makes these paintings special is how they were made. They were created as frescoes on plaster walls.

Artists mixed clay and sand for the base, then applied mineral pigments like red from cinnabar and blue from lapis lazuli, sometimes with gold or silver foil for shine. The colors were bold and fresh when found, but mold had damaged them over time.

After 12 years of careful restoration, finished in 2020, the vivid hues returned, helping experts date them more accurately. No one knows exactly who the artists were. But they were likely skilled painters from the royal court. Nevertheless, the work shows strong influences from Korean tombs, which hints at Japan's growing ties with the continent.

These murals are a national treasure of Japan as they offer a window into the Asuka era, when women like Empress Suiko played key roles in building the nation and welcoming new ideas, including Buddhism. Today, you can't enter the tomb to see them up close, but replicas at the nearby Takamatsuzuka Mural Hall let you imagine standing there 1,300 years ago. It's a quiet reminder of how art from long ago can still spark our curiosity about the past.