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

This is a hand-molded bisque sutra container in the shape of a long cylinder with a cap-type lid in the shape of a deep bowl. The surface and the inner upper part of the body are painted in white and Buddhist images are color painted over the entire surface of the body. However, at present, it is only part of the central deity and the upper half of the left attendant that remain on the body and the details of the rest are not clear. However, there is gold leaf and traces of red and green coloring on the bodies of the deities and their bases. Some red and green coloring can also be found on other parts. While almost all of the coloring on the lid has been washed away, there is some red paint on the top surface of the lid and white paint inside the lid. The following inscription is written in sumi on the external bottom surface of the container:
Parents of (父母而)□□
　　　　　□□□
Memorial service held on October 23, 1147 (久安三年十月廿三日供養)
Lotus Sutra (the rest not clear)
(one line not clear)
This sutra container was excavated from the precincts of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka.
While other earthen sutra containers have been excavated, such as those found in the Kuramadera Sutra Mounds in Kyoto, this is the only colored earthen sutra container that has been found. The year of creation (1147) is also clear. In these points, this container serves as valuable material for the research of sutra mounds.