Qiudayitage: Reliquary

CHINA, Xinjiang, Kelpin

This 5th century clay reliquary was excavated from the Qiudayitage Castle in Kelpin, Xinjiang. It was originally used to store the ashes of a monk.
The cylindrical reliquary has a tightly sealed conical lid. The base is yellow, while the middle section is black with yellow diamond-shaped patterns marked with red dots where the lines cross; the upper section is a reddish color. The lower part of the lid is decorated with an inverted lotus pattern, while the upper part appears white with a brown ring below. It appears as if the decoration on the lid may have had a different color, but it has deteriorated. There are holes in the lid where it meets the body, so that a cord could be attached in order to carry the reliquary.