Buddhist Sutra Container
Unknown Artist
1100s-1200s
Medium
gilt silver with incised Buddhist designs
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.095,"width":0.06,"depth":0.023}}
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mitsuru Tajima
Accession Number
1998.122
About this artwork
This container was designed to hold sutras, or Buddhist sacred texts. The Four Heavenly Kings, one for each of the cardinal directions, are incised on the exterior of the container. Images of the Four Heavenly Kings can often be found on Korean containers for sacred relics and sutras, and are symbolic of the wish to preserve the Buddha’s teachings.