Reliquary
Date12th-14th century
Maker
Japanese
Label TextThis rock-crystal container for holy relics takes the form of a stupa, a monument that represents the body of both the Buddha and the Buddhist practitioner. It is composed of five geometric shapes representing the five elements: the teardrop-shaped jewel at the top represents space, the hemisphere wind, the pyramid fire, the sphere water, and the square base earth.
Object number56.247
Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Documents International: Reflections in the Mirror: A World of Identity", April 23, 1998 - June 20, 1999
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "A Thousand Years of Beauty: Japanese Art in Seattle", July 16, 2001 - November 17, 2002
New York, Asia Society, Kamakura: Reality and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan, Feb. 9-May 8, 2016. Text by Ive Covaci. Cat. no. 40, p. 76, reproduced p. 135, endpaper.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.
Published ReferencesFuller, Richard E. "Japanese Art in the Seattle Art Museum: An Historical Sketch." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1960 ("Presented in commemoration of the Hundredth Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the United States of America"), no. 67Credit LineGift of Mrs. John C. Atwood, Jr.
Dimensions3 3/8 x 1 5/8 x 1 5/8 in. (8.57 x 4.13 x 4.13 cm)
Overall h.: 4 in.
MediumCrystal
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