Inner Sarira Reliquary

This reliquary was discovered in 1959 in the upper part of a three-story stone stupa to the west of Gameunsa Temple site. A similar reliquary was also found in the stone stupa to the east of the temple site in 1996. Gameunsa Temple was built in 682 CE at the order of King Shinmun, to commemorate his father King Munmu. The reliquaries found at the temple site attest to the very high standard of metal craftwork technologies from the Unified Silla Period. Inside the cuboid outer chest was a house-shaped sarira case, and inside the case was a flame-shaped ornament that held the crystal jar containing the sarira. The four sides of the outer chest are decorated with elaborate renderings of the Four Heavenly Deities, while the four corners of the base plate of the sarira case were engraved with images of muses playing musical instruments.