Abstract
During the Nara period, in the 8th century CE, demand for the high-class nishiki, aya, ra, and ryomen silks for government and religious purposes was small compared with the demand for general silks, but demand for kanhata was strong. Little high-class silk was given as diplomatic gifts to foreign countries. Some was used as ornamentation in inner Buddhist temples, and for monks’ costumes, sutras, and sutra bags. Kanhata was much used for making sutras, particularly in the latter half of the Nara period. Small amounts of nishiki, aya, ra, haku, and gauze silks were woven into ashiginu.
