국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

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

    Unified Silla Period

  • Provenance

    Chilgok-gun

  • Materials

    Glass/ Gemstone - Glass

  • Category

    clothes - Accessories - Others

  • Designation

    Treasure 325-6

  • Accession Number

    Sinsu 337

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 glass beads discovered alongside other sarira reliquaries within a tortoise-shaped stone chest found inside the pagoda are artifacts from Unified Silla created to honor valuable Buddhist relics. They are blue-tinted and threaded tightly together to form a necklace. A cluster of larger glass beads is hung from it like a pendant.