Bimaran casket

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Bimaran Casket
BimaranCasket2.JPG
The Bimaran Casket or reliquary on display in the British Museum, with a depiction of the Buddha, surrounded by Brahma (left) and Śakra (right).
MaterialGold encrusted with gems
Size6.7 cm high, 6.6 cm diameter
Created1st century CE
DiscoveredBimaran
34°27′31″N 70°20′59″E / 34.458544°N 70.349792°E / 34.458544; 70.349792Coordinates: 34°27′31″N 70°20′59″E / 34.458544°N 70.349792°E / 34.458544; 70.349792
Present locationBritish Museum, London
RegistrationOA 1900.2-9.1

The Bimaran casket or Bimaran reliquary is a small gold reliquary for Buddhist relics that was found inside the stupa no.2 at Bimaran, near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan.

Discovery[]

The Stupa Nb.2 at Bimaran, where the reliquary was excavated. Drawing by Charles Masson.

When it was found by the archaeologist Charles Masson during his work in Afghanistan between 1833 and 1838, the casket contained coins of the Indo-Scythian king Azes II, though recent research by Senior indicates Azes II never existed[1] and finds attributed to his reign probably should be reassigned to Azes I. The most recent research however (2015) attributes the coins to Indo-Scythian king Kharahostes or his son Mujatria, who minted posthumous issues in the name of Azes.[2]

The Bimaran reliquary is sometimes dated, based on coinage analysis, to 0–15 CE (Fussman), more generally to 50–60 CE (British Museum), and sometimes much later (2nd century CE), based on artistic assumptions only. It is currently in the collections of the British Museum.[3] The dating of this unique piece of art has a strong bearing on the chronology of Buddhist art and the creation of the Buddha image, as its advanced iconography implies that earlier forms had probably been existing for quite some time before.

Description[]

Detail of the Buddha, where the rare posture and light dress are visible.

The casket is a small container reminiscent of the Pyxis of the Classical world.[4] It was found without its lid.[4] There is a lotus decorating the bottom.[4]

The casket features hellenistic representations of the Buddha (contrapposto pose, Greek himation, bundled hairstyle, wearing a moustache, realistic execution),[4] surrounded by the Indian deities Brahma and Śakra, inside arched niches (called "homme arcade", or caitya) of Greco-Roman architecture. There are altogether eight figures in high-relief (two identical groups of Brahman-Buddha-Indra, and two devotees or Bodhisattvas in-between) and two rows of rubies from Badakhshan.[4]

Owing to their necklace, bracelets, and armbands, and halo, the two devotees are most probably representations of Bodhisattvas.[4] They hold their hands together in a prayerful gesture of reverence, Añjali Mudrā.[4]

The casket is made in gold-repoussé and is very small, with a height of 7 cm (2+34 in). It is considered as a masterpiece of the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara.

The Buddha: a rare iconography[]

The Buddha seems to walk sideways. His right forearm goes across his chest to form the Abhaya mudra. His left fist is clenched on his hip. The gown of the Shakyamuni Buddha is quite light compared to that of the other known representations of the standing Buddha (see Standing Buddha (Tokyo National Museum)), tending to follow the outline of the body, in a rather light way. These are probably the first two layers of monastic clothing the antaravasaka and the uttarasanga, without the heavier overcoat, the sangati, which would only go as low as the knees and be more markedly folded. Also, his gown is folded over the right and left arm (rather than being held in the left hand as in the classical Buddha image), suggesting some kind of scarf-like uttariya. He has an abundant topknot covering the ushnisha, and a simple halo surrounds his head. This combination of details of the iconography (posture and clothing) is rare and only otherwise known in the coins of Kanishka (c. 150 CE), where they bear the inscription "Shakyamuni Buddha", in apparent contrast to his coins of the "Buddha" where he wears the heavy topcoat. The posture itself is well known in the art of Gandhara in sculptures of the Buddha as a Bodhisattva, but in these cases, he wears the Indian princely dhoti and the royal turban.

The Bimaran casket, illustrated by Charles Masson: view in volume, flattened view of a half portion of the casket, and bottom.

Steatite container[]

The steatite box that contained the Bimaran casket.
Inscriptions on the steatite box.

The Bimaran casket was kept in a steatite box, with inscriptions stating that it contained some relics of the Buddha. When opened in the 19th century, the box did not contain identifiable relics, but instead some burnt pearls, bead of precious and semi-precious stones, and the four coins of Azes II.

The inscriptions written on the box are:

Inscription of the Bimaran casket[2][5]
Inscription Original (Kharosthi script) Transliteration English translation
Outside of lid
WIKI