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

These are bowls with lids made of Sahari (an alloy of copper, tin, lead and zinc). N-258 and N-259 are rather deep bowls with a rather tall foot, on which a tall lid with a knob shaped into a Houbyou (a flower vase held in the hand by bodhisattva bosatsu figures) is placed. Those with shapes that are the same as cremation urns were excavated at Shiroyama of Ôuda-cho, Nara Prefecture, including a reliquary from the Hôryū-ji Temple five-story pagoda, which are known as having been used for religious purposes. The N-260-262 bowls have a shallow lid with a top surface that is swollen out (J. Koumori). While N-261 has a Hoju (sacred jewel) shaped knob, N-260 and N-262 have a low foot that is different in style from N-261. In addition, the body of N-260 is a metal bowl with a tall foot, while N-261 and 262 are metal bowls with no feet and only the body of N-261 is forged. There are many examples including those handed down in Shôsôin (The Imperial Repository) and those excavated from cremation-cemeteries, ancient tombs and the ruins of shrine rooms.