PrintReliquaries are made in the form of wish-fulfilling jewels (Skt. cintāmaṇi; J. hōju) because these precious sacred gems and the bodily relics of the historical Buddha Shaka (Skt. Śākyamuni) are believed to be equivalent in Japanese Buddhism. The relic enshrined upon this lion mount may represent the bodhisattva Monju (Skt. Mañjuśrī), who rides a lion. Monju is the “original form” (honji) of the Wakamiya deity, and so this reliquary is thought to be associated with Kasuga Wakamiya Shrine.
NAITO SakaeEnglish by Mary Lewine
Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.341, no.112.
Reliquary in the Shape of Flaming Jewel on a Lion
Gilt bronze; lion: wood with pigments
Total H 26.6, H of lion 14.8
Nanbokuchō period
14th century
| Accession Number | 1308-0 |
|---|---|
| Category | Decorative Arts |
| Bibliography | On-Matsuri and the Sacred Art of Kasuga : Feature Exhibition. Nara National Museum, 2014, 80p. (Japanese)On-Matsuri and the Sacred Art of Kasuga : Feature Exhibition. Nara National Museum, 2013, 96p. (Japanese)On-Matsuri and the sacred art of Kasuga. Nara National Museum, 2008, 75, ivp. (Japanese)Ultimate sanctuaries: the aesthetics of Buddhist relic worship. Nara National Museum, 2001, 263p. (Japanese) |