Baked Clay Buddhist temple (Gadō)

In ancient Japanese Buddhist temples, particular halls were constructed to hold Buddhist worship objects. Miniature versions of these halls made from bisque (fired pottery) are called gadō by modern scholars of ancient Japanese history. People used these miniature halls in place of the real, bigger halls as worship objects. This tower was excavated from the Higashiyama ruins in Misato, Saitama Prefecture and is thought to have been created in the 9th century (early Heian Period). Other similar structures called gatō, which are shaped like towers and held the bones of or other treasures associated with the Buddha, have been found across Japan, but gadō are rare. Because this gadō was excavated with a gatō, it is thought the two formed a set of worship objects. This artifact is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.