Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ritual Buddhist bottle vase and cover

China

Date

7th-8th century

Medium

Bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

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. China, Asia

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