>Antiquistik at 22:11, 21 April 2021

2021-04-21T22:11:46Z

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{{short description|Buddhist reliquary in Peshawar Museum, Pakistan}}
{{Infobox artefact
| name = Kanishka casket
| image = [[File:Kanishka casket, Asia, G33 South Asia.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption = The "Kanishka casket", dated to [[AD 127|127 CE]], with the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] surrounded by [[Brahma]] and [[Indra]]. Kanishka appears in the lower part among the scrolls, [[British Museum]].
| material =
| size =
| writing =
| created = 2nd century CE
| discovered =
| location = [[British Museum]], [[London]]
| id =
| registration =
| map =
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|label = Kanishka stupa
|label_size =
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|lat_deg = 33
|lat_min = 59
|lat_sec = 58
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|lon_deg = 71
|lon_min = 35
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[[Image:KanishkaBuddhaDetail2.JPG|thumb|Detail of the Buddha, surrounded by [[cherubs]], with devotee or [[bodhisattava]]]]
The '''Kanishka casket''' or '''Kanishka reliquary''', is a [[Buddhist]] [[reliquary]] made in gilded copper, and dated to the first year of the reign of the [[Kushan]] emperor [[Kanishka]], in 127 CE. It is now in the [[Peshawar Museum]] in the historic city of Peshawar, Pakistan.

==History and description==
It was discovered in a deposit chamber under the monumental [[Kanishka stupa]] (described by Chinese pilgrims in the 7th century as the tallest stupa in all India), during the archeological excavations in 1908-1909 in Shah-ji-Dheri on the outskirts of [[Peshawar]]. It is said to have contained three bone fragments of the Buddha,<ref>Spooner, D. B. (1908-9): "Excavations at Shāh-ji-Dherī." ''Archaeological Survey of India'', p. 49.</ref> which were forwarded to [[Burma]] by the British following the excavation,<ref>Marshall, John H. (1909): "Archaeological Exploration in India, 1908-9." (Section on: "The stūpa of Kanishka and relics of the Buddha"). ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'', 1909, pp. 1056-1061.</ref> where they still remain.

The casket is today at the [[Peshawar Museum]], and a copy is in the [[British Museum]]. The casket is dedicated in [[Kharoshthi]]. The inscription reads:

{| class ="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Inscription of the Kanishka casket<ref>Baums, Stefan. (2012). ''Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary Inscriptions''. Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries. D. Jongeward. Seattle, University of Washington Press</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Organ |first1=R.M. |title=The Restoration of the Relic Casket from Shāh-jī-kī-ḍherī |journal=The British Museum Quarterly |date=1964 |issue=1 |pages=46-51 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4422850 |issn=0007-151X}}</ref><ref>Translated by B. N. Mukherjee. ''BMQ'', Vol. XXVIII, pp. 41-43. Quoted in: Dobbins, K. Walton. (1971): ''The Stūpa and Vihāra of Kanishka I''. The Asiatic Society of Bengal Monograph Series, Vol. XVIII. Calcutta.</ref>
|-
!Inscription
!Original ([[Kharosthi|Kharosthi script]])
!Transliteration
!English translation
|-
| '''Line 2'''
| {{big|𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨤𐨂𐨪𐨅 𐨞𐨒𐨪𐨅 𐨀𐨩𐨎 𐨒𐨢𐨐𐨪𐨎𐨜𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨪𐨗𐨯 𐨐𐨞𐨁‎}}
| {{transl|pra|Kaṇiṣkapure ṇagare ayaṃ gadhakaraṃḍe maharajasa Kaṇi-}}
| In Kaṇiṣkapura city, this incense box is the great king [[Kanishka I|Kanishka]]'s
|-
| '''Line 4'''
| {{big|𐨮𐨿𐨐𐨯 𐨬𐨁𐨱𐨪𐨅 𐨨𐨱𐨯𐨅𐨣𐨯 𐨯𐨎𐨓𐨪𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨁𐨟𐨯 𐨀𐨒𐨁𐨭𐨫𐨣𐨬𐨐𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨁𐨀𐨣}}
| {{transl|pra|ṣkasa vihare Mahasenasa Saṃgharakṣitasa agiśalanavakarmiana}}
| monastery's superintendents of construction of the fire hall, Mahasena's and Saṃgharakṣita's,
|-
| '''Line 3'''
| {{big|𐨡𐨅𐨩𐨢𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨅 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬𐨣 𐨱𐨁𐨟𐨯𐨂𐨱𐨪𐨿𐨠 𐨧𐨬𐨟𐨂}}
| {{transl|pra|deyadharme sarvasatvana hitasuhartha bhavatu}}
| donation. May it be for the benefit and pleasure of all living beings.
|-
| '''Line 1'''
| {{big|𐨀𐨕𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨣 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨁𐨬𐨟𐨁𐨣 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨁𐨒𐨿𐨪𐨱𐨅}}
| {{transl|pra|acaryana sarvastivatina pratigrahe}}
| In the possession of the [[Sarvastivada|Sarvāstivādin]] teachers.
|}

Originally it was believed, that the text is signed by the maker, a Greek artist named ''Agesilas'', who oversaw work at Kanishka's [[stupa]]s (caitya), confirming the direct involvement of Greeks with Buddhist realizations at such a late date: "The servant ([[dasa]]) Agisalaos, the superintendent of works at the vihara of Kanishka in the monastery of Mahasena" ("dasa agisala nava-karmi ana*kaniskasa vihara mahasenasa sangharame"). However, a recent cleaning of the casket had shown that the old reading was not accurate. Instead, the name is to be read ''agnisala'', which is the [[refectory]] of the monastery.<ref>Prudence R. Myer: ''Again the Kanishka Casket'', In: ''The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 48, No. 3/4 (Sep.–Dec., 1966), pp. 396–403 [https://www.jstor.org/pss/3048396]</ref>

The lid of the casket shows the Buddha on lotus pedestal, and worshipped by [[Brahma]] and [[Indra]].

The edge of the lid is decorated by a frieze of flying geese, or [[Hamsa bird|hamsa]], symbolizing the travel of departing souls and the removal from [[samsara]]. Some of the geese have a wreath of victory in their beak.

The body of the casket represents a Kushan monarch, probably Kanishka in person, with the Iranian [[Sun god]] and [[Moon god]] at his side. On the sides are two images of a seated Buddha, worshiped a royal figures, possibly a [[bodhisattava]].

A garland, supported by [[cherubs]] goes around the scene in typical Hellenistic style.

The relics themselves were forwarded to Burma by the British in 1910 in order to safeguard them. They are today visible in [[Mandalay]]. The three fragments of bone are believed to be true relics of Gautama Buddha.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:TrilogyDetail.JPG|Detail of the Indra, Buddha, [[Brahman]] trilogy.
Image:KanishkaDetail.JPG|Detail of Kanishka, surrounded by the Sun-God and the Moon-God.
Image:GooseDetail.JPG|Detail of the flight of sacred geese, or hamsa.
Image:Buddha relics.JPG|Buddha relics from Kanishka's [[stupa]] in Peshawar, Pakistan, sent by the British to [[Mandalay]], Burma in 1910.
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Bimaran casket]]
* [[Kushan art]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*Baums, Stefan. 2012. “Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions.” In: David Jongeward, Elizabeth Errington, Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums, ''Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries'', p. 246, Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project (Gandharan Studies, Volume 1).
*Baums, Stefan, and Andrew Glass. 2002– . [https://gandhari.org/catalog ''Catalog of Gāndhārī Texts''], no. [https://gandhari.org/catalog/cki0145 CKI 145]

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090109171953/http://www.trincoll.edu/classes/relg254pics/relg254pics/class3/if000000.htm Photograph of the Kanishka casket]
{{Gandhara|state=expanded}}
{{British Museum}}
{{Buddhism topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanishka Casket}}
[[Category:Indian Buddhist sculpture]]
[[Category:Asian objects in the British Museum]]
[[Category:Kushan Empire]]
[[Category:Peshawar]]
[[Category:Buddhist reliquaries]]

Kanishka casket - Revision history

>Antiquistik at 22:11, 21 April 2021