【Period】:Northern Song dynasty
【CAT】 :Gold and Silver
【Size】 :Height 19cm, length 18.3cm, width 10.5cm (silver guo); height 7.1cm, l
Excavated from the underground vault of the Changgan Temple, which was built in the 4th year of the Northern Song Dazhong Xiangfu period, at Baotading
The guo(outer coffin)is made of silver and partially gold-gilt. The upper part of the guo is in the shape of a coffin, with one end slightly higher than the other. Its cover has altogether seven surfaces: five top surfaces, on which patterns of lotus, phoenix, and Kalavindotabvka bird are chiseled, and two side surfaces, on which patterns of an arch over a gateway are chiseled. The straight exterior walls of the coffin body on the long sides are decorated with double eaves, bucket arches, and door leaves, on which there is the portrait of the Heavenly King. Engraved on the end sides of the coffin’s body are images of performers. Between petals of facing-up and facing-down lotus flowers is the pedestal of the guo in the form of girded Sumeru throne. The pedestal is decorated with lotus patterns. The inscriptions at the bottom of the silver guo record the process of enshrining a bone from the Buddha’s skull, and thus are of great religious, historical, and cultural values. When unearthed, the gold guan(inner coffin)was found in the silver guo. The guan has straight walls and a flat bottom. The cover of the guan is decorated with patterns of phoenixes, lotus flowers, and curly grass. Carved on the two end sides of the guan are images of performers and patterns of an arch over a gateway, on which the portrait of the Heavenly King is engraved. A real bone from the Buddha’s skull was found enshrined in the gold guan, which was wrapped at the two ends with gold wires when it was unearthed.