Reliquary boxes such as these were popular in the Tang dynasty of the 8th century. Possibly part of a set, they were made of precious metals. This box is made of silver and covered with rectangular panels of gold foil. The designs of peonies and undulating leaves on this box are a decorative development that began in the Song ( 960-1279) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties. These boxes contain relics of the Buddha known as sarira. The commissioning of reliquary boxes was undertaken as an act of devotion to accumulate merit which was believed to shorten the cycle of rebirth.
