Pakistan, Gandhara, probably Swat, late Kushan period / 200–400 CE
Reliquary Box
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Reliquary Box as metalwork (Pakistan, Gandhara, probably Swat, late Kushan period · 200–400 CE).
This casket in bronze represents the great variety of reliquary caskets. It is round, has a low foot, and is covered with a lid (with raised handle) that fits over the vessel rather than being inset.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as bronze.
The museum's collection notes: This casket in bronze represents the great variety of reliquary caskets. It is round, has a low foot, and is covered with a lid (with raised handle) that fits over the vessel rather than being inset. It is a traditional shape frequently encountered in Gandharan reliquaries, but its slight flattening and elaborate decoration imply a slightly late date. A central band of a floral creeper decorates the main body of the box and its lid, and is framed on both sides by narrower fluted bands. This type of freehand design is characteristic of the late Kusana-early Gupta period. Similar floral patterns are found in another CMA object (1972.164), the l
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtReliquary BoxOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.