The container of Tibetan sutra in the period of Koryo

The container of Tibetan sutra in the period of Koryo

This relic is a box of sutras known as the "container of Tibetan sutras", from the Korean Koryo period (918-1392) around 1100 AD. It is made of gold-plated copper with embossed decorations, and the overall dimensions are 10.2 x 6.5 x 1.5cm. This sutra box was once used to preserve miniature Buddhist sacred texts. By hammering the reverse side, the front and back of the box are engraved with relief designs depicting a peaceful pond boy holding a huge lotus in his hand and a pair of mandarin ducks swimming. These playing boys may represent the newly born soul in the Pure Land. Collected at the Cleveland Museum of Art.