About this objectThe śarīra inside this glass jar covered with a piece of silk, was said to have been presented to the Japanese by the Chinese monk, Jianzhen 鑑真 (Ganjin, 688–763), when he finally arrived in Japan in 753 on his 6th attempt (see our journeys story). The glass has been analysed and found to be Islamic plant-ash glass; the silk, Chinese. Islamic glass is also found in the reliquary of the Buddhist stupa at Famensi (法门寺) near Xian in China.
Jianzhen was to found Tōshōdaiji (唐招提寺).
Date Made8th century
Subject and Association KeywordsRelics
Subject and Association KeywordsSilk
Subject and Association KeywordsGlass
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Buswell and Lopez 2013; Taniichi 2010: Żuchowskaa and Szmoniewski 2017
