AD 998 (Northern Song dynasty)
Height 46.5, Length of Sides of Base 28.5 cm
Excavated at the Former Site of the Fahai Si Temple, Mi County, Henan Province, 1966

This cuboid box comprises three parts: base, body of the box and lid. The foundations are modelled on brick and stone architecture, with posts resembling a Sumeru throne. There are pillars at each comer, arched holes and unicorn and lotus patterns decorate the four walls of the base. The body of the box is a square cylinder: each comer features a sculpted pillar decorated with lotus patterns and a crouching lion. A horizontal crossbeam with nipple-patter design connects the tops of the pillars. In the centre of each wall is a fake door with deva-rajas (Heavenly Kings) standing on open lotuses to either side. The whole of the upper sections and sides of the doors are decorated with pictures of lotuses. The lid is modelled on a roof with four sloping sides, which do not protrude over the walls, with a flat top above the sloping sides. The roof’s four sides are decorated with banana leaf patters, and the four corners feature butterflies about to take flight. There are two circular holes in each of the roof’s four sloped edges, with images of flowering branches and lotuses on either side of the holes. The box features a brown yellow and green tricolour glaze. An inscription is carved into the inside wall of the box. ‘Recorded by Zhangjia on the third day of the eleventh month of the xian ping yuan year'. Another inscription on the inside wall of the lid reads: ‘Donated by Qiu Zhixun on the third day of the eleventh month of the xian ping yuan year’. Both inscriptions are in kaishu (regular script).

This box emulates the structure of a four doorway single-story Buddhist tower. It employs tricolour decoration, and bears inscriptions on the body and lid of the box. It is the earliest known glazed tile work with an inscription to have been discovered in China. It provides invaluable material evidence for research into ancient architecture, painting and glazing, and firing of ceramics.