Famen Temple Pagoda: Nested Reliquaries

CHINA, Shaanxi, Baoji; Tang dynasty

The Buddha’s finger relic was enshrined in this set of reliquaries in 871 during the Tang dynasty. They were recovered from the Famen Temple Pagoda in 1987.
Only four of the five original nested reliquaries survive. The outermost reliquary is made of iron, followed by a gilt silver reliquary. The third reliquary, which was made of sandalwood, disintegrated during the recovery process. The fourth reliquary is made of crystal, and the fifth is a jade reliquary.
The iron reliquary has rusted so it is not possible to determine its original decoration. The second gilt silver reliquary is square with each side measuring 17.5 cm and 16.6 cm high. There are 45 images carved over the reliquary; 5 images on each side and 25 images on the lid. The lid has a design of a Diamond Realm Mandala, with Vairocana Buddha at the center. On the front of the reliquary is Aksobhya Buddha, with Ratnasambhava Buddha on the right, and Amitabha Buddha at the rear. The subject of the left side is the Karma Division with Amoghasiddhi Buddha at the center.
The crystal reliquary measures 10.5 cm long, and 4.9 cm wide and 6.9 cm high at the front. The reliquary is slightly wider and higher at the front than at the back. It appears transparent and the curved lid is embedded with a sapphire and a yellow precious stone. There is a golden pomegranate leaf at the front.
The innermost white jade reliquary is 6.8 cm long, 3.1 cm wide, and 4.8 cm high. The lid is curved and extends over the body. The third finger relic of the Buddha was placed inside this reliquary.