Reliquaries, which contained relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, were central objects of Buddhist worship and were placed inside pagodas, the focal point of the temple plan. This exquisitely crafted example was excavated from the base of a pagoda in Songnim-sa Temple. Placed in the center of the reliquary is a green glass cup decorated with twelve rings of coiled glass applied to the surface. The cup is similar to the one preserved in the Treasury of the Shoso-in, Nara, which predates the mid-eighth century, and derives from Persian or Syrian prototypes. Inside the cup is a small green glass bottle, which held the relics of the body of the Buddha, usually represented by tiny crystal-like particles.