Pagoda-shaped jar, carved Sanskrit characters, for storing a sutra case.
| Collection Number | A002241 |
|---|---|
| Title | Pagoda-shaped jar, carved Sanskrit characters, for storing a sutra case. |
| Date | Heian period, 1146. |
| Artist, Kiln, Workshop | 湖西窯 Kosai ware |
| Name of prefectures & cities | Sizuoka prefecture, Japan |
| Place of excavation | Perhaps excavated from Negata, Hamakita-shi, Shizuoka. |
| Description of works | 【Possibly a collaborative work between a potter and experts in Buddhism】 This piece is a reliquary in the shape of a gorinto (five-ringed tower) and was used to store Buddhist relics. Each section of a gorinto represents one of the godai (five fundamental elements of the universe). From top to bottom, they are: the void, air, fire, water, and earth. This three-part tower is composed of the void/air/fire, water, and earth. The water section is shaped as a cylinder in which a copper tube containing a sutra scroll was placed. The tube then acted as a time capsule, after the entire gorinto was buried underground. On each section, some Sanskrit characters and inscriptions totaling 205 characters are incised, suggesting that experts in Buddhism must have been involved. |
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