Title
Reliquary box with lotus design
1st century
Artists
Unknown Artist
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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Ancient Gandhara
→
Pakistan
- Period
- Kushan period mid 1st century - early 5th century
- Date
- 1st century
- Media category
- Sculpture
- Materials used
- schist, contents gold
- Dimensions
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a - base, 7.3 x 8.7 cm
b - lid, 1.4 x 5.3 cm
c - gold piece, [preserved inside box]
d - gold piece, [preserved inside box]
e - gold piece, [preserved inside box]
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Bequest of Alex Biancardi 2000
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 28.2000.a-e
- Copyright
- Share
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About
This rare box is in remarkable condition and still contains its precious relics, most likely because it was preserved inside a stupa. The contents are essentially intact and comprise the gold finial of a stupa (consisting of a square entablature, or 'harmika', and parasol), a small round gold box filled with tiny beads and rock dust, and a larger round copper box, the contents of which have been removed.
The Asian Collections, AGNSW, 2003, pg.28.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Glorious, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 27 May 2017–06 Jan 2019
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Bibliography
Referenced in 2 publications
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Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Buddhist Art', Sydney, 2003, 28 (colour illus.).
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Pratapaditya Pal, Orientations, 'Sensuous Spirituality: Hindu and Buddhist Art from the Indic Cultural Realm', pg. 80-87, Hong Kong, Sep 2000, 83 (colour illus.). fig.5
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