Highlights
Sarira Reliquaries from the Five-story Brick Pagoda of Songnimsa Temple
  • Nationality/Period

    Unified Silla Period

  • Provenance

    Chilgok-gun

  • Materials

    Glass/ Gemstone - Jade

  • Category

    clothes - Accessories - Others

  • Designation

    Treasure325-6

  • Accession Number

    Sinsu339

Discovered in 1959 during repair work on the Five-story Brick Pagoda in Songnimsa Temple in Chilgok-gun, North Gyeongsang-do Province, this pavilion-shaped miniature stupa is one of the sarira reliquaries, including a glass cup and bottle, contained within a tortoise-shaped stone chest stored in the brick pagoda. These four tubular jade beads were found with other sarira reliquaries inside the pagoda. They constitute evidence that ancient Korean people admired jade as the purest material found between heaven and earth. The beads were strung to form an ornamental band, although the intended use of the item is unknown. It is a work of Unified Silla made in the eight century.