footed, with round body and long thin neck, flaring at mouth; pairs of incised lines inside mouth; cover is disk with 2 joined bronze strips below

Ritual Buddhist Bottle Vase and Cover, 7th-8th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Bronzeexpand_more

Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more  98.218.1a,b

Made for Buddhist rituals, this finely finished, elegantly proportioned, lidded bottle vase and basin can be associated with the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokitesvara). Called an ambrosia vase, it is the type carried by Guanyin and is said to carry the elixir that comforts mortals who are seeking salvation.

Although the specific use of these utensils in Tang Buddhist rites is uncertain, the vase is inscribed with the characters ching cheng hao ("pure, righteous, and good") and the single character, feng, meaning to "bestow" or "seal up." These words suggest that these vessels might have once been sealed up as part of an offering in a dedicatory vault beneath a temple pagoda.

Details
Title
Ritual Buddhist Bottle Vase and Cover
Role
Artist
Accession Number
98.218.1a,b
Curator Approved

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footed, with round body and long thin neck, flaring at mouth; pairs of incised lines inside mouth; cover is disk with 2 joined bronze strips below