Buddhist sutras are canonical scriptures that describe the teachings of the historical Buddha, Gautama. This portable container from Korea once held such sacred texts. It has a bail at the top for a cord that may have been tied around a person’s waist, and high-relief, repoussé decoration on both the front and back. A V-shaped lid on the front and a hinge along the top edge allow the case to open and close.1 The artist chased six mantras, Sanskrit letters intoned as sacred incantations, against a decorative background into the metal on the upper part of the case under the lid.

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