National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　This sutra container is a cylindrical container that has four layers and a six-petal flower shaped pedestal (two tiers pushed up), with a parasol-shaped lid (kasa buta) with a pagoda-shaped knob (sorin chu). Four cylindrical parts are built up for the body and seven batches of lines are drawn on the top and bottom and Fugen (Skt. Samantabhadra), the Ten Protective Demonesses (the Ten Rākṣasīs), Yakuo (Skt. Bhaiṣajyarāja), Yuze (Skt. Pradānaśūra), Jikokuten (Skt. Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and Bishamonten (Skt. Vaiśravaṇa) from the 26th chapter of “Lotus Sutra,” ‘Dharani,’ are also beautifully incised on the entire surface. Moreover, the following inscriptions are on one side of the iconography: 「保延七年［歳次／辛酉］二月十五日勸進［延暦寺／僧定尋］［族姓大神／長壽丸］」
　The outer sutra container consists of a flat disc-shaped lid that bulges moderately and a cylindrical body. The Sanskrit seed syllables of the mandala of “Lotus Sutra” and seven-line true words (shingon) including “Nam Myo ho Renge kyo (「南无妙法蓮華経」)” are inscribed on the area from the surface of the cover to the side of the body.
　The four layered sutra container has been commonly discovered in the Kita-Kyusyu Area and this sutra container is said to have been excavated in Fukuoka Prefecture, however, the details are not known. This is an excellent and superb article to protect “Lotus Sutra,” with a perfect set of the inner and outer sutra containers.