Offering container

A variety of elaborately decorated vessels, containers, and stands were made for presenting offerings in Buddhist monasteries. Ornate betel-nut containers used at ceremonies when young men entered monasteries as novices symbolized the luxuries that the Buddha-to-be, Prince Siddhartha, willingly gave up when he embarked on his spiritual career, luxuries that candidates for the novitiate gave up when they followed his example.

Both the shape of this offering container and its decoration-made up of mirrored-glass inlay in patterns recalling those on some Burmese textiles- are unusual. Where and when the container was made is uncertain.