Page 476 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China
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Parcel-gilt silver casket with the Multiple containers made of valuable materials
Four Guardian Kings were invariably used to hold relics (which could be
just tiny, glassy grains). In the case of the Famen
Height 23.5 (9'A), width 20 (7 7s) Monastery, where the relic was held to be from the
Tang Dynasty, ninth century CE true body of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, the
From the pagoda of the Famen Monastery at Fufeng,
containers had to be even more impressive. Placed
Shaanxi Province
towards the rear of the innermost chamber, this is
1
Famensi Museum, Fufeng, Shaanxi Province the second of a set of eight nesting caskets. Only
fragments remain of the outermost casket, which
was made of sandalwood carved with figures of
devotees and figures from the Buddhist Pure Lands,
475 FAMEN M O N A S T E R Y AT FUFENC
