Within the To-in (eastern compound) is the octagonal Yumedono (Hall of Dreams), whose exquisite Guze Kannon statue was considered so sacred that it was completely hidden from human eyes from its dedication in 737 until 1884, when it was unwrapped by a visiting American art scholar with the Meiji government's blessing, of course.
The Guze Kannon statue was hidden from human eyes until 1884, as it was considered too sacred.