Bimaran casket

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Bimaran casket

The Bimaran casket is a tiny gold reliquary used for Buddhist relics. It was found inside Stupa No. 2 at Bimaran, near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, during 19th‑century excavations led by Charles Masson.

Size and look
- Gold repoussé container, about 7 cm tall and roughly 6–7 cm wide, decorated with precious stones including rubies.
- The lid was missing when found, and a lotus decorates the bottom.
- The inside featured eight high‑relief figures in a Greco‑Buddhist style, with two Bodhisattvas, and the Buddha flanked by Indian gods Brahma and Śakra (Indra) inside arched niches.

What it once held and what coins say
- When first opened, the casket held four coins rather than Buddhist relics. The coins are ancient Indo‑Scythian tetradrachms that at first were thought to belong to Azes II.
- Later research shows the situation is more complex. The coins likely belong to Kharahostes or his son Mujatria, who may have issued coins in the name of Azes. This has led scholars to reconsider the dating and the dedication of the casket.

Dating and importance
- The dating is debated. Some scholars suggest 0–15 CE, others around 50–60 CE, and some propose later dates based on style.
- Most agree the casket is very early in Buddhist art, possibly among the first highly developed Buddha images, and it shows strong Greco‑Roman influence fused with Indian imagery.
- This mix of styles links the piece to the broader early Greco‑Buddhist art of Gandhara and to Indo‑Greek rulers of the period.

Current display
- The Bimaran casket is in the British Museum, in the Joseph E. Hotung Gallery, with the reference OA 1900.2-9.1.