also: てんびょう · てんへい
noun
Tenpyō era (729–749)
Japanese era name spanning 729 to 749 CE. The reading てんぴょう is standard; てんびょう and てんへい are alternate readings.
天平時代の仏像は、写実的で優美なものが多い。
Many Buddhist statues from the Tenpyō period are realistic and graceful.
この経典は天平五年に書
This sutra was copied in the fifth year of the Tenpyō era.
Rare alternate reading; mostly of historical interest.
The era name 天平 (Tenpyō) was adopted in 729 CE during the reign of Emperor Shōmu. The characters mean 'heavenly peace' or 'heavenly balance'.