Bao’en Temple Pagoda: Reliquary Casket

CHINA, Anhui, Liu’an; Northern Song dynasty

This reliquary casket was recovered from the underground palace of Bao’en Temple Pagoda. While the temple was constructed during the Tang dynasty, the underground palace was built under a brick pagoda dating from the Northern Song dynasty and was sealed in 1027. A number of precious artifacts, including this reliquary casket, were recovered when the pagoda was dismantled in 1977.
The casket was created from six gold panels. It is 7.8 cm at the front, 10 cm long, and 6 cm wide at the front and is elevated at the front by a base with leaf and bead patterns. Above the double doors at the front, there is a repoussé tympanum with a floral pattern surrounded by studs. There are two panels with a similar decoration on each side of the doors.